


How Fortunate

by Ghoulogic



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 92,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24795508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghoulogic/pseuds/Ghoulogic
Summary: It's at the small bustling town of Sunshade where their paths first intertwine. A dancer, one forever haunted by the harsh cruelties of the world. And an apothecary, one who shines brightly in the face of those same cruelties. Their chosen paths will take them to places and sights unlike any other, but at least they'll be walking side by side during this grand adventure.
Relationships: Primrose Azelhart & Alfyn Greengrass, Primrose Azelhart/Alfyn Greengrass
Comments: 51
Kudos: 57





	1. How Unfortunate

"Not bad Primrose, not bad at all. Thanks to you, tonight's gonna be big."

"Yes, thank you."

"Looks like your sandals broke though. Seems you've gone and broken a strap. Go back to the dormitory and fetch yourself another pair."

"Most happily." Primrose smiled.

The young stagehand gave the dancer one last smile before heading away to help manage the bar, seeing as more and more patrons were beginning to flood towards a very distressed barkeep. Making her way towards the exit, a small sigh broke through the dancer's lips. The earlier conversation with Helgenish still on her mind, Primrose was not overly excited about a busy night. Still, more faces in the audience meant more pay. Perhaps she would finally be able to pick up that gorgeous bracelet for Yusufa she had fancied.

As she approached the dormitory, Primrose stopped to greet a young girl who seemed to be accompanying her father. The sweet child stood in awe at her beauty with glowing eyes, heavily contrasting her father's much more cynical expression. As the two walked away, Primrose couldn't help but ponder old memories. She had once been just like her, with her father still at her side…

Now she was but a dancer in the pleasure district of the Sunlands. Instead of falling asleep to the soft wind passing through the lush green plains of the Flatlands, the dancer went to bed wary of possible bits of sand underneath her covers. To most, Sunshade was an escape from the trivialities of the world, but to her it was home. A home that she had not chosen.

"How unfortunate." Primrose thought as she opened the door to the dormitory.

Unfortunate, yes. But necessary.

*

Primrose cursed as she closed the door behind her, eager to escape Helgenish and the other dancers cursed with envy. She was a patient woman, but even she had her limits. If she had to spend even one more minute with that pig, she imagined things would not end well for either party.

"Bravo Prim. That was a performance for the ages!"

Primrose turned her head to find Yusufa waiting against the wall with a teasing smile and bright eyes adorned on her face. Hopeful eyes, eyes that still remained uncorrupted from the dangers of a town like Sunshade. Despite being so young, the young woman had somehow managed to stave away the darkness that Sunshade often planted within people's hearts. Including her own.

"I must get that bracelet." Primrose thought. Yusufa was and had been Primrose's only friend and ally for years and years on end. A much, much needed friend.

"I don't know how you do it. I want to vomit every time I have to call him Master." Yusufa complained.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out collecting tips?" Primrose questioned. It was clear that Helgenish was expecting a big night. She certainly did not want Yusufa to be blamed if that pig's expectations weren't met.

"I was worried about you. How is your foot?" Yusufa said, her concern showing in her eyes.

"What?" Primrose responded. She wasn't still concerned about the thorns the other dancers had placed in her sandals, was she?

Yusufa sighed, handing Primrose a handkerchief. "Here, use this. It'll help keep the cuts clean." The concern in her eyes was still present. "Be careful out there, okay?"

Yusufa gave Primrose a small rub on her shoulder as she walked away towards the market, clearly in hopes of attracting a couple of unsuspecting men towards the tavern. Primrose chuckled, following after her after taking a few seconds to wipe away the dry blood and dirt off her foot. It was time for work for her as well.

Once she arrived at the edge of the market, Primrose began to scan the crowd. The market seemed to be lively this afternoon, with merchants, travelers, and tourists all scurrying around eager to find anything worth more than its price. Amongst the crowd were plenty of young naive men, all of them likely to pay a visit to Sunshade's famous tavern later. That was good news, it meant Yusufa would likely have a good night.

For Primrose, however, it would always be a good night. The dancer smirked. She was beautiful, and more importantly she knew it. The brunette had been blessed with not only the talent for dancing, but also with the assets necessary to make her performances that much more sensual. Long luscious brown hair, curves that moved like fine silk as she walked, and a face that many women would happily die for. At the young age of 23 Primrose was a woman in her prime, and with a voice as rich as chocolate and as smooth as velvet she could instantly charm any man without fail.

There was a reason she was the star dancer of the tavern, after all.

But still, work is work, and working takes time. Right on cue, her cat-like eyes spotted her first victim, a young man that had clearly paid too much attention to his hair and outfit. The dancer strode towards him with hips swaying like ocean waves, making full use of her natural gifts. Primrose worked her magic, and the poor soul was stuck in her trap within seconds. A minute later, and the man had already promised Primrose to pay a visit to the tavern later, his pockets likely filled with leaves. Helgenish would be happy.

Her work here was done. On to the next.

After a few more hunts, the prowling feline finally decided to take a break and rested against a barrel at the edge of the market. Primrose smiled. The day had been long and busy, but still excitement was contagious, and the bustling crowd had managed to raise her spirits. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad after all…

A flash of green suddenly caught her eye, it was not a color that the Sunshade saw often after all. The color belonged to a young man wearing a forest green jacket and a brown leather vest. His beige pants were dirty, and his dark brown boots had seen much use given how worn they were. His gold hair was messy and spiked upwards, with a small amount tied at the back. He was a handsome man with warm brown eyes and smile that reminded her of Yusufa. Unfortunately, his pockets seemed empty and right now Primrose had no use for a man low on leaves.

Still, the tan bag that the man was carrying tickled her curiosity. Whether consciously or subconsciously, the man kept the bag close and in sight at all times. Which meant whatever was in the bag was important to him, or the bag itself, but that didn't matter to her. Regardless, she decided to make him her last victim. The dancer lightly pushed off the barrel with a touch as soft as a cat's paw. Once again, her hips swayed with magic as she made her way towards the poor man, completely unaware that he had become her prey. Primrose couldn't help but smirk.

"How unfortunate." Primrose thought on behalf of her prey.

*

"What's a dashing young man like yourself doing in a place like this?"

The man turned around; his left eyebrow raised with inquiry. As soon as he laid eyes on her, Primrose spotted a red tinge across the man's cheeks, undoubtedly because of the amount of skin she was showing. Primrose almost giggled with sympathy. A man that wore his heart on his sleeve was hopeless against her. At least he didn't ogle her like other men his age, however. Although she could tell that he was using all his willpower not to look at her chest and instead at her eyes. Even so the effort was appreciated.

"Yes, miss? Is there something you need from me?" The young man asked, a smile quickly spreading across his face.

She noticed he didn't catch her question. "I merely wished to welcome you to the town. It's clear that you are not from around here." Primrose purred, hoping to deepen the blush on his cheeks.

Much to her surprise, it didn't. Instead he laughed. "Gosh, you think so?! Man, I was hoping I wouldn't stand out too much. Ah, but I guess if ya got a jacket like this around these parts it does kinda stand out a bit huh?

Primrose blinked. "Y-yes it does indeed." Conversation with this man flowed like water, something that the dancer wasn't accustomed to in Sunshade. Nevertheless, she had a job to do. "Since you're not from around these lands, perhaps you'd like to share the evening with me? I'll show you a good time~" Primrose hummed.

Almost instantly the young man's expression dropped, which took Primrose by surprise once more. "Hah… I'd love to miss really! But I'm not stayin' long, just wanted to get something to eat. Figured a town as busy as this gotta have a good spot!

Primrose looked up to meet his eyes, and at this moment she realized just how tall and broad he was. This observation combined with the fact that the young man clearly spoke with an accent meant he was likely from the Riverlands. In any case, she'd underestimated him. Despite being young, it seemed the man wasn't quite the fool she thought him out to be. After all, no fool would be capable of resisting her charms.

…Or he was so much of a fool that he couldn't recognize flirting when it was right in front of him.

She decided to be nice and went with the former.

"Well, I dance at the tavern just down the street. I can assure you that what we serve will be more than satisfactory to quench your hunger," Primrose said, the alluring tone gone from her voice now. Ultimately, it didn't matter for what reason the young man went to the tavern for, as long as he came out with less leaves in his pocket.

"Aw shucks, that sounds great! I'll make my way over. I just hope it's not too pricey, I ain't got that many leaves to my name after all!" The young man laughed, brimming with energy. He extended his hand out to Primrose, clearly asking for a handshake.

Primrose eyed his hand warily. She has had too much experience with men to know that one touch is all they need to get greedy, which then often leads to more explorative touches than she'd like. This one, however, felt different. Everything about him spoke friendly, and after a moment's hesitation Primrose shook his hand. His hand was rough and calloused, yet there was a gentle and warm touch to it. It'd been quite a long time since she'd felt a hand like his.

"If that's the case, speak to the young stagehand. He often gives discounts to those who tell him stories about their travels. I hope you have a good evening." Primrose smiled genuinely before walking away. She felt the young man's eyes linger on her for a moment before he took off towards the tavern. It was still too early for the festivities to begin, so it'd be likely they'd miss each other when the night fell. A shame, really.

"How unfortunate." Primrose mused.

*

Primrose burst out of the side door of the tavern, eyes lit with fury and determination. To think she thought today would be like any other ordinary day. But no, she'd finally found them. Her father's killers, those who bore the mark of the crow. This time, it was the man with the mark on his left arm. All those miserable years in Sunshade were finally worth it, she finally had an opportunity to get her revenge. Far too long had the fires of vengeance within her been dormant. Now they were aflame, more akin to a great bonfire rather than a measly ember. All she needed now were her father's dagger and the words engraved on it that she lived her life by.

"Faith shall be your shield." Primrose thought as she watched Helgenish and the man with the crow mark converse. She listened intently, nearly grunting in disgust after realizing that the marked man wanted Helgenish to trade Primrose away to him. She was a slave no longer, the only reason she endured working under Helgenish was for this very opportunity.

"That map… Ah!" Primrose whispered as the marked man and Helgenish dispersed. If she followed quickly, not only would she be able to kill the filthy crow, but also obtain a clue to where the other two killers were. She turned her head to make sure Helgenish was out of sight before coming out of her hiding spot. Despite being a pig, her former master was sly and cunning, so she couldn't act rashly. Once she knew it was clear, she took a deep breath and was about to give chase when she heard a rustle behind her. Almost immediately she drew her dagger and whirled around, making sure to press it against the stalker's throat.

"Gah!" Yelped a familiar voice.

If Primrose's sour mood hadn't been tempered by the bustling crowd earlier, she might have slit her pursuer's throat without much of a second thought. Instead, the blade of her dagger stopped just short of drawing blood, nestling comfortably against the person's throat. The dancer darted her eyes upward, ready to chastise whoever was mindless enough to creepily approach a young woman in a town like Sunshade. Instead, her eyes went wide as they met a familiar face and a green jacket.

"You are the man from earlier, correct?" Primrose questioned, venom dripping from her voice.

"Y-yeah, that's me. Sorry, should'a called out to you. But I don't think I got your name earlier. I guess I was so hungry I completely forgot to ask!" The young man laughed. "Just wanted to check to see if everything was alright, looked like something was bothering you."

Primrose narrowed her eyes. She had no reason to be suspicious, but there was little reason for the man to still be in Sunshade. "Why are you still here, were you not planning to leave swiftly after your meal?"

"Haha… well, I talked to that stagehand you mentioned earlier cause what you mentioned made me think he'd be a stand-up guy. And man was I right! Turns out he was from the Coastlands, and that's where I'm heading so we got round to talkin'. Ya gotta have a couple drinks after that, right?" The man smiled, not forgetting about the dagger still planted on his neck.

"I see." Primrose stated, still wary. "Your name?"

"Name's Alfyn, and I'm an apothecary. Left my hometown so I could start traveling around helping people stay nice and healthy. Really, I'm awful sorry about sneakin' up on you like that. So, could you put your dagger away?" Alfyn grinned sheepishly.

Considering Alfyn was from out of town, there was little chance he was affiliated with Helgenish or the left crow. After a few moments, Primrose sighed and drew her dagger away from the man's neck. Even if he were an enemy, killing him here would only bring more attention towards her.

"Alfyn, please leave here at once. I have business to take care of, and I cannot afford to waste any time. I am sorry for handling you so aggressively, I was startled. Farewell." The dancer said plainly as she turned away.

"Ah wait! If you need any help, I'd be happy to lend a hand. If it wasn't for you I'd have a lot less leaves on me right now Miss Uh…" Alfyn offered, noticing Primrose's troubled face.

"Primrose." The dancer frowned. "And while the offer is appreciated, I'm afraid I must decline. Do not get involved. This is my problem, not yours. Also, I have little reason to trust you, and you have little reason to trust me." This was her journey and hers alone. She did not need anyone else to walk her bloodstained path.

"Now, don't go saying that. Folks gotta watch out for one another, yeah? Besides I saw you limpin' earlier, and I can't leave someone who's hurt all by themselves. I'm an apothecary after all!" Alfyn smiled.

"I aim to kill a man." Primrose declared unwaveringly. "And a dangerous one. My path is one of violence and blood, and those like you certainly should not walk such a path. Your hands are meant to heal and recover, not to harm and destroy. I can only suggest that you not follow."

Her declaration left the young man startled and with his mouth slightly agape. Primrose's frown deepened as she realized that Alfyn had likely never come across anyone with murderous intent. She was sure that he'd grown up in the Riverlands, a land largely free of evil spirits such as thieves or killers. His largest concern throughout his entire life had likely been disease, not people. Taking such an innocent soul onto a path like hers would shake even her conscience, and there was enough damage there already.

Even so, Alfyn didn't leave.

"That's… definitely a tough pill to swallow. I don't know how I feel about it just yet, but what I do know is wherever you're headin' doesn't look very safe. There's a good chance you'll run into some real nasty things down there. And those I'm happy to get rid of." Alfyn stated confidently. "Plus, I'm a lot tougher than I look, and I can keep you on your feet too. And if you don't trust me just yet, you can still use me as a meat shield can't ya?"

Primrose considered his offer. Alfyn had a valid point, as there would be plenty of monsters lying in wait within the catacombs. While she was entirely confident in her own abilities, the dancer was by no means durable. She was strong, yes, but her strength came from lithe muscle and honed technique. Having a solid body at her side taking the full brunt of attacks meant she could maneuver around her target with much more flexibility than if she were alone. Additionally, Alfyn's presence would give her enough room to be able to step back and cast spells if she needed to. It also gave her a target to support with her magical dances, and if he was any bit as powerful as his stature suggested he was, the two would be a fierce force in battle.

After careful consideration, Primrose relented. "Very well. But only through the catacombs. I cannot risk putting you in a situation where you must soil your hands for a stranger."

"It's a deal! You won't regret it Miss Primrose. Oh, just you wait, I'll show ya what I'm made of!" Alfyn exclaimed as he pushed ahead of her towards the catacombs.

Primrose shook her head as she followed behind. A man like Alfyn should have no reason to help a woman like her. They seemed to be the same age, yet one shone brightly in the face of the world's cruelties while the other embraced them. Alfyn had shown visible displeasure towards the possibility of someone's death, even if that someone was a cruel and heartless man. On the other hand, Primrose had relished in the thought of finally being able to drive her dagger into that same man's throat. They lived in completely different worlds.

Still, the dancer found her lips curving upward as she walked towards her new companion.

"How unfortunate." Primrose lamented.

*

"Hragh!" Alfyn shouted, bringing his hatchet down on the lizardman's head. The monster let out one last croak before it dissipated into the air as quickly as it had appeared. Primrose sighed as Alfyn cheered in victory. That was the last of them.

The brunette turned towards the apothecary with a small smile. Alfyn had proven his worth and then some. While she had expected the two to work well together, she hadn't expected him to be such a capable fighter in his own right. His concoctions were as effective as she had expected, but his prowess with an axe showed he had strong combat sense, and his ability to use ice magic had made some fights much easier. He was almost as strong as her. Almost.

She could do without his constant chattering, however.

"That must be the exit." Primrose said as the tandem approached the top of a rather large set of stairs leading up to an opening. The left crow had to have made his way through there, and since they had made such good time through the catacombs Primrose was sure she was right on his trail. This meant it was time to part ways.

"This is where we'll go our separate ways. I must thank you, Alfyn. Without you I might have ended up dead before even reaching my fated foe. I hadn't expected the beasts to be so formidable." Primrose said facing her companion.

"Aw, shucks. You don't have to thank me Primrose." Alfyn said, rubbing the back of his head. "I think you woulda been just fine on your own. I mean, the way you strike with your dagger! I ain't seen anything like it before."

"Perhaps, but there's no need for such flattery." Primrose smirked, but the dancer's expression quickly turned serious. "Alfyn, before I take my leave, a question."

"Shoot." The apothecary nodded.

"Why did you offer me aid? You were clearly uncomfortable when I told you my goal, and you had never met me before today. Most people wouldn't be so eager to help a complete stranger, and I do not believe you are the type of man to help with ulterior motives in mind. So what possessed you to help me?" Primrose questioned, focusing her eyes onto the young man.

Primrose watched as Alfyn blinked and stood still for a few moments. Then he put his hands on his side and laughed heartily, almost as if the question she'd posed had sounded ridiculous. Before she had a chance to respond, Alfyn met her eyes once more. His brown orbs glowed, and for a second it seemed as if they were the same color as his hair. His usual carefree grin was gone, replaced by a small yet confident smile. His hands clenched firmly into fists, but not out of frustration, but rather from some unknown strength. The air around him changed, almost as if he were someone else.

"Isn't it obvious? I saw someone in a bind and I helped them out, simple as that." Alfyn spoke.

For a second, the dancer couldn't find the words to respond. Alfyn had spoken so surely, so powerfully in a way she never would have expected him to, that she was unable to reply. After coming to her senses, Primrose chuckled. Once again, she'd underestimated him. There was more to the young apothecary than what appeared on the surface, a drive hidden away deep inside the person just like her own.

"Thank you, Alfyn." Primrose smiled, genuinely. "I bid you farewell. By the off chance our paths cross again someday, let us share a drink at a tavern." Primrose meant it. Just as she had meant every single word she had ever spoken to Yusufa. Those two were certainly different, but similar in all the right ways.

"Yeah. Good luck, Primrose. I hope you get whatever you're looking for." Alfyn responded, his eyes filled with concern and care. He gave the dancer one last smile before turning around, his apothecary bag swinging at his side. Once he got to the end of the stairs, the apothecary turned the corner with a wave before disappearing from Primrose's sight. Taking a deep breath, Primrose turned as well and dashed towards the exit, fully committed to her one and only goal. It was time. She had waited and waited and waited.

It was time to pluck the left-wing of the crow.

Once he heard her footsteps go silent and he knew that she was out of the catacombs, Alfyn returned to the bottom of the stairs. He removed his apothecary satchel from his body and plopped it down against the wall. With a grunt, he lowered himself down until he found the floor and scooted up against the wall next to his satchel. The fighting had taken much more out of him than he had originally thought. But he knew he couldn't show his exhaustion, it'd only distract Primrose from her goal and that was something he couldn't allow himself to do. He needed to rest before making his way out again, and that was exactly what he intended to do until he heard a stubborn growl from his stomach.

Alfyn looked down and cursed. Of course, he had spent most of his leaves on drinks rather than a proper meal after all.

"How unfortunate." Alfyn whined.

*

"Quite the dancer yourself in the end." Primrose muttered emotionlessly as she stood over Helgenish's lifeless corpse. She knelt down and rustled through his clothes until she found the map given to her former master by the left crow. She unfolded the parchment until the map was displayed in full view right in front of her. It was a complete and incredibly detailed map of Orsterra, showing each important road, river, landmark, and city. Towards the top of the map she noticed a red circle around a northern town in the Frostlands.

Stillsnow. Her next objective. The left crow would be there.

The dancer stood up and slowly walked away from the carnage. Dead bodies were littered across the sand, the blood from stab wounds just starting to dye the grains red. One of those bodies laid further away, broken and bloody, but still beautiful and righteous. Primrose couldn't bear to look at Yusufa. Not like this, not ever. She would never be able to bear it, no matter how long she lived she knew that she would never forgive herself for bringing her best and only friend this fate.

She would never be able to give her that bracelet.

The dancer made it only a few steps towards her friend before collapsing onto her knees in exhaustion and pain. Her breathing heaved and her body started shaking uncontrollably. Her sight began to blur, and Primrose noticed herself starting to break down. It wasn't her fault, she knew it. Yusufa has given her life for her, and had done it with grace and strength unlike anything she had ever seen. Even so, images of the two of them leaving Sunshade and moving forward to their new lives alongside one another flashed in her mind. Yusufa had almost been free, she'd been so close…

"…Holy hell what happened here?!"

Primrose swiftly raised her head to the sound of a familiar voice. She gasped as she spotted a flash of green running from the catacomb exit into the desert field. After all, it was a color that Sunshade didn't see often.

"Oh gods… Alfyn. Alfyn! Alfyn!" Primrose screeched, emotions ranging from extreme relief to utter confusion running through her mind.

"Primrose! Shit!" Alfyn exclaimed, sprinting towards her after spotting the young woman sitting among the dead bodies. Once he got to her, he scanned her body for any major injuries or wounds that would have to be taken care of immediately. She looked to be in bad shape, but thankfully Alfyn only found a few gashes and bruises that looked to be somewhat serious. They'd be gone after a few days with the help of some of his salves. Before he could do anything, however, Primrose shook her head.

"Alfyn I'm fine! But if there's anything you can do for her, please do. I beg of you!" Primrose shouted desperately, pointing towards a girl laying on the sand not too far from them. Alfyn grimaced. He had not noticed the girl's body until now, but now that he saw her he wished he hadn't. He furrowed his eyebrows. There was nothing he could do.

But he could try.

Wrapping her better arm around his shoulder, Alfyn hoisted Primrose up and began limping towards the young girl's body. Almost immediately he noticed just how weak her body was, clearly suffering from overwork alongside her fresh injuries. Despite that, Primrose remained strong. Her eyes were filled with pain, but also with unshakeable anger. Her body shivered with anguish, but also with unbridled fury. She was a completely different person from the one he had met at the market.

Once they got to Yusufa's body, Alfyn carefully let Primrose's arm go, helping her stay steady for a moment. He then examined Yusufa's body, only to find that any hope that he might have had before vanished entirely. The apothecary gulped, and slowly closed his eyes. Her body was broken, even if she had been able to survive by some miracle she would have been paralyzed for the rest of her life. He was almost glad that she had passed, he couldn't imagine how painful it must have been. Taking a deep breath, he put two fingers to her neck, confirming the inevitable.

"There's… no pulse." Alfyn managed to squeak out, almost afraid to tell Primrose something that they both already knew.

The news didn't hit any less hard, however, and Primrose once again fell to the ground. This time though, it wasn't sadness that overwhelmed her. It was a different feeling entirely. She reached over and gently closed Yusufa's eyes, taking one last look at the orbs once filled with life and energy. Next, she slipped off one of her golden bangles, and put it around her friend's wrist, making sure that Primrose left a part of her with Yusufa. Finally, she kissed her forehead and stood up ready to leave, saying her last words to Yusufa that she had always wanted to hear.

"We are free at last…my friend."

Oh, how incredibly and utterly unfortunate.

*

"You are heading towards the Coastlands, correct?"

Primrose almost giggled as Alfyn's face lit up. "You remembered! Yup, figured I'll head that way cause I hear folks there get sick pretty easily. Ugh, but it's a pain in the ass to walk through the Sunlands during the day, I mean it's just too hot! The nights are much better." Alfyn grinned.

The morning sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon as the two made their way to Sunshade's entrance, each of them packed and ready for their departure. While Primrose had little to her name, the barkeep had given the dancer her pay in advance, along with a little extra for her trip as thanks for getting rid of Helgenish. Alfyn had chosen to stay the night, insisting on treating Primrose's wounds and stocking up on supplies after using most of them during their time in the catacombs. In return, Primrose had used her pay to secure them a room at the inn, seeing as Alfyn was left without many leaves. Primrose had told Alfyn to meet at Sunshade's entrance the next day while Alfyn had cleaned and patched up her wounds at the inn, to which he had happily agreed.

It had taken a while for Primrose to fall asleep, with the events of the day still on her mind. Thoughts concerning Yusufa, Helgenish, the crow, the rest of the dancers, and even the young stagehand from the tavern plagued her mind. It would have been worse, but Alfyn's soft breathing next to her helped calmed her. The dancer chuckled, remembering how she had thought that today would be just another busy night performing at the tavern. Instead she had been a customer, as Primrose and Alfyn had shared a late and much needed meal at the courtesy of the young stagehand. Primrose fell asleep shortly after.

"Alfyn, I have a proposition." Primrose said as she stopped right before they made their way into the desert.

Alfyn turned to her, eyes already shining with anticipation. "Yeah whatcha thinking?" The apothecary asked with an expression which made it far too obvious what he was hoping for.

Primrose smiled, deciding to tease him just a tiny bit. "Ah, nevermind. Just a silly thought that ran through my head. Pay no mind to it." She said as she strode towards the exit, hoping for a response from the young man.

"Huh? W-wait just a second, hey! Primrose!" Alfyn stuttered, swiftly catching up to the dancer.

"Hmm?" Primrose hummed, feigning ignorance.

"You're headin' to Stillsnow, right? Well, why don't you head there through the Highlands? That way we can travel together all the way until we reach Atlasdam! Err, only if you want, of course." Alfyn laughed sheepishly.

Primrose gave a fake gasp, covering her mouth dramatically for emphasis. "Why Alfyn, how bold of you! I thought you'd never ask." She skipped ahead of him, making sure that he had no view of her face as she stifled a laugh.

But Alfyn's no fool, and saw right through her charade. He narrowed his eyes as his face formed into a scowl. "Hey! You did that on purpose didn't ya. You're teasin' me!"

This time Primrose laughed, a genuine and honest laugh, something she has not done for quite some time. "Whatever could you mean, Alfyn? I did no such thing. Perhaps the heat is confusing your senses." Primrose said as innocently as she could, moving further ahead until she was outside of Sunshade. But she hadn't noticed she'd left, and she probably never would. There's no reason to look back.

"Shucks!" Alfyn huffed once again catching up to her as they began to walk side by side towards the highlands. Primrose settled into a comfortable pace, and couldn't help but curl her lips into a small and sweet smile as she heard Alfyn grumble next to her. Alfyn would be a joy to tease. He was hopeless, he wore his heart on his sleeve after all.

"How fortunate." Primrose thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hello! I hope that you all enjoyed this little something I put together on a whim. This is my first fanfiction, and I'm fairly excited to see what comes out of it. Now, I'm not sure whether or not I'll be able to finish this completely, but for the time being I do plan to continue it whenever I find some time. I appreciate any support and welcome any criticism concerning the story, especially advice on how I'm writing each character. Always looking to improve.
> 
> If you're wondering what type of story this will be, it'll simply follow the events of the main game with a greater focus on the main pairing. I also plan to add a few extra scenes/chapters of my own material as well, mainly inspired by some Travel Banter and other conversations within the game. Also, don't expect as many scene changes in future installments if they annoyed you; the ones I used here were for the sole purpose on bringing out the motif connected with the story and chapter titles.
> 
> If you've made it here, thank you! I appreciate your time, and hope to see you again in the future. Have a good one.


	2. Traveling

Alfyn was hungry.

The apothecary sighed as he felt another yank from his stomach, as his body again tried to tell him that it was time for a meal. He had eaten not long ago, but at the young age of 21 his appetite recently had been asking for a bit more than normal. Besides, he was tall! In his mind, tall people always ate more because there was more room to fill. Of course, that wasn’t really true, but right now his gut seemed to be telling him the opposite goddamn it.

“Alfyn, is everything alright?” 

Alfyn turned his head in direction of the voice, making sure he hid his annoyance with his signature smile. “Yeah, why? Something wrong?” He said casually, trying to come across as nonchalant as possible.

His companion raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced of how he was really feeling. Alfyn managed to suppress another sigh, hoping to keep up his fragile act for a little longer. Still, he was sure he’d eventually be caught, his new partner had a knack for seeing through this kinda stuff anyway. 

Well, he wasn’t the best at hiding it either.

“Hmm, no. I can tell something is bothering you. Anytime you stop talking so suddenly it usually means that something is irritating you. And trust me, I would know.” Primrose frowned, adding emphasis on her last words.

“Shucks, looks like I can’t get anything past you huh?” Alfyn replied sheepishly, audibly cursing himself for being so easy to read. Primrose chuckled, and Alfyn found himself fixing his gaze onto her. 

When he had first met the dancer, Alfyn would never have expected that she would end up joining him on his travels. Hell, he hadn’t even thought someone like her would ever speak to him, he was just a country bum after all. Though, Primrose did later admit that she had initially only approached him at Sunshade because she was interested in what was in his satchel. Or “man-purse” as she liked to call it. 

She enjoyed teasing him, much to his dismay.

“Alright, spit it out. As much as I can appreciate a moment of silence, I think I prefer the sound of your constant chattering over no sound at all.” Primrose teased with a sly glint in her eye, before taking a more sincere expression. “If it’s something that I did, I apologize. I did not intend to displease you.”

“No, no, no! You’re fine, you didn’t do anything. It’s just… I’m starvin’.” Alfyn muttered, turning his head so Primrose couldn’t spot the blush on his cheeks. He needed to be careful with that from now on, otherwise the dancer would find ways to tease him for hours. 

This time Primrose laughed, her arms wrapping around her sides until her giggles began to soften. “Why did you not say so?” The dancer responded with an endearing tone as Alfyn grumbled.

“Well, we ate only two an’ a half hours ago! I don’t wanna stop us again when we’re getting close to Cobbleston. Besides we’re outta food so we’d have to go scroungin’ around for something.” Alfyn countered as he continued to keep his face away from Primrose.

“Alfyn it’s fine. It is not likely we’ll get to Cobbleston today, and even if we did we would arrive long past nightfall. Why not set up camp early and find us a good meal? We can make for town tomorrow morning.” Primrose persuaded, realizing that her hunger had just started to rise as well.

Alfyn pouted. Primrose's suggestion made a lot of sense, but Alfyn still wished he’d been able to tough it out just a little bit longer. Now he just looked like a child. A tall, scruffy, and very dirty child, but a child nonetheless. But she was right, as she often was. He gave her a nod, earning him a small smile from the brunette. Almost instantly the apothecary felt better. 

Those types of smiles were rare and fleeting when it came to Primrose, but he found that she’d been opening up little by little as the days went on. The dancer had woken up today in a good mood, as the duo had been able to buy a pair of tents from a traveling merchant the previous day. She had smiled and laughed much more than usual, something that Alfyn found made him fairly happy. He really thought that she was much prettier when she was smiling.

Shucks, who was he kidding. She was always pretty.

The pair continued forward, hoping to find a good camping site to settle down for the rest of the day. While still not as cozy as his homeland, the Highlands were much more comforting than the cruel deserts of the Sunlands. Alfyn shuddered as he remembered the first couple of days after setting off on his adventure. Crossing the dry desert on his own had left the apothecary exhausted. Even after Primrose had joined him at Sunshade, he’d still found the experience miserable, a sentiment that she seemed to share as well. Now that he thought about it, they had gone without a proper rest until just last night.

“Heya, Prim. I don’t know how you managed to survive in the Sunlands. I’d sooner tear my hair out than live somewhere like that.” Alfyn stated, ruffling his hair in gesture.

“It certainly wasn't pleasant. But I needed a place that I knew would give me a fair chance at finding the crows. Evidently, it seems I was right.” Primrose responded, crossing her arms in confirmation.

“Makes sense. Ah, but the mead was tasty, I wouldn’t mind another swig of that stuff.” Alfyn smiled.

“Mhmm, although I must confess my preferred drink isn’t quite as sweet.” Primrose stated. “I’m more partial towards smoother spirits, such as wine or cider.” 

“Nah, you just don’t like to have fun. You’re one of those types that sits on their porch sipping a glass with their pinky salutin’ all proud and stuff.” Alfyn teased this time, making sure Primrose had a full view of his mocking grin. 

“Oh, hush. You’ve clearly never had the pleasure of a rich wine alongside a nice meal.” Primrose fired back, a smirk beginning to form on her face. 

“I bet you’re weak, aren’t ya? Probably can’t even handle a mug of ale. Shoulda known coming from the delicate little flower you are.” Alfyn pushed further, hoping to get a stronger reaction.

“Please. I could drink you under the table without so much as a passing glance. You’d be wise not to challenge someone that once worked at a tavern.” Primrose replied, not taking the bait. Her smirk widened as her eyes shone with a competitive fire.

“Them’s fighting words.” Alfyn challenged. He wasn’t about to let Primrose run away from this.

“Very well, you’ve dug your own grave. Bide your time, Alfyn. Oh, and just so you’re aware I’ll be leaving you alone without much of a second thought after your head hits the tavern floor.” Primrose declared confidently, intimidating Alfyn for just a moment.

The two exchanged a look and laughter escaped from both of their mouths almost instantaneously. Alfyn was pleased that the two had crossed paths back in Sunshade. Primrose definitely had a lot going on, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t great company. Alfyn had found he enjoyed their friendly banter much more than he would have expected, although sometimes he wished he was witty enough to have the last laugh.

“Man, what I wouldn’t give for a nice mug of mead with some grilled Clearbrook fish and a side of diced potatoes right now.” Alfyn groaned, reminded of his hunger once again after another yank from his stomach.

Almost as if Aelfric himself had been listening, the two turned a corner only to find themselves face to face with a large pond and a nice smooth bank perfect for setting up camp. While the water wasn’t nearly as clear as the rivers from Clearbrook, ripples in the water told Alfyn that there was undoubtedly a small population of fish hiding underneath the water. All he needed now was to catch them, and that he was good at.

“Jackpot! Looks like fish is on the menu tonight Prim!” Alfyn shouted, quickly running towards the pool of water. “It’s not Clearbrook, but it’ll do. Hell, I’m so hungry I could even eat a froggen right about now.” 

“Indeed.” Primrose said as she strode towards him. “But Alfyn, we lack any proper fishing equipment. How do you plan on catching anything, especially considering that empty stomach of yours?” 

“That’s easy. All I need is a glass bottle.” Alfyn explained, eyes and stomach already brimming with excitement.

“A glass bottle?” Primrose replied, perplexed by Alfyn’s statement. 

“Yup, you can actually make a decent reel out of one as long as you know how. Hey, do me a favor and see if you can make me some hooks. Just find some small pieces of wood about half the size of your finger.” Alfyn requested, still unaware of Primrose’s bewilderment. “I’ll set up the tents in the meantime.”

Primrose nodded in confirmation and stepped away from Alfyn, who was all too eager to begin making his hand fishing reel. After a quick drink of water, Alfyn began setting up camp. The tents they had bought were each large enough to easily accommodate two people, but Alfyn had insisted on buying both of them from the merchant. While sleeping in the same space didn’t seem to matter to Primrose, it certainly did to Alfyn. The apothecary was certain he wouldn’t be able to get a wink of sleep resting so close to the dancer. He was still a young man, after all.

After he had finished raising the tents, Alfyn began to work on building a campfire. The nights recently had slowly begun to cool, and while Alfyn personally liked the cold, he knew that Primrose didn’t. Alfyn assumed that it was likely because she had lived most of her life in the Sunlands, but her dancer’s attire definitely didn’t help. The dancer always made sure that they had a fresh fire before going to sleep, and even then she usually woke up shivering. Either way, Alfyn also needed the fire to cook their dinner, something he was greatly anticipating.

Primrose returned with several perfectly sized pieces of wood shortly after he had started on the fire, offering to continue his work so that he could begin working on catching their supper. Alfyn agreed, and scooted over to give her room. As the fire started to bloom, Alfyn brought out his hatchet and began sharpening the wood.

“Alfyn, I must admit I am still concerned about whether or not this will work.” Primrose asked, tilting her head to the side. Alfyn could tell she was starting to get hungry as well.

“Oh, dontcha worry about a thing! We have everything we need.” Alfyn answered, smiling as he held his open palm towards Primrose, showing off his makeshift hooks. They weren’t perfect, but he had grown up right next to one of the most fish-rich rivers in all of Orsterra. If he couldn’t snag a couple of fish with these, then he wasn’t a true Greengrass.

“You said that you were planning on using a glass bottle for a reel. Does that mean you will be using your hands to work the line?” Primrose questioned, still somewhat uneasy about the whole process. “Is it not dangerous?”

“Yeah kinda, but as long as ya know what you’re doing it’s fine. When I was a kid I used to fish like this all the time with the other boys in town. We’d go down to the river hopin’ to snatch us up some big pretties and grill them up for dinner.” Alfyn smiled as he recounted some of his old memories. “One time, I almost snagged me a big old carp, but I didn’t have enough line to bring it in. I swear the thing must’ve been almost 30 pounds! Probably can’t catch a fish that big unless you got yourself a strong pole.”

“I see.” Primrose nodded in understanding. “Forgive my lack of knowledge, fishing is a completely foreign subject to me. I don’t believe I have ever fished once in my life.” 

“Really? If you’re done with the fire, how about you come with me and I can teach ya! I think you’d be pretty good at it, seeing how quickly you react when we’re in a fight.” Alfyn offered, excited at the prospect of sharing someone's first fishing experience.

“Er… no. I’d rather not. I’m not sure I’d be comfortable handling such an animal.” Primrose replied, averting her gaze from Alfyn. 

“Why not?” Alfyn asked, slightly disappointed with her response. 

“While I do enjoy fish when it's cooked, I cannot say the same for when they are still alive. I find them foul.” Primrose frowned. 

Alfyn nodded in understanding, although he was still slightly upset that he had missed the opportunity to teach Primrose how to fish. He promised himself he would once they had reached Rippletide. She’d no excuse then with a proper fishing pole in her hands.

“Suit yourself.” Alfyn shrugged before reaching into his satchel and pulling out a bottle he typically used to collect ingredients for his salves. “Perfect. Alright, I think it’s about time I go back up all my talk. Care to join?” 

Primrose hummed in agreement and stood up after making sure the fire was steady. Alfyn quickly took off his boots and rolled up his pants up to his knees to make sure they didn’t get any dirtier than they already were. Standing up he made his way to the edge of the pond with Primrose in tow, gesturing for her to find a comfortable spot. The dancer skipped around the edge of the water before settling down into a relatively grassy spot. She patted the ground next to her, motioning for Alfyn to come over and join. 

Once they were settled, Alfyn began wrapping some line he had brought from Clearbrook around the bottle, which he had saved for this very situation. Once he was finished, he tied his hook and stood up for a moment so he could cast as far as he could into the pond. The further he cast, the more room the apothecary had to snag a fish. Without any decent bait, Alfyn would have to rely on his skill with the line and that alone. Even if they were lucky and the fish were biting, it would take at least an hour or two. 

Focusing on him for a moment, the dancer found that she was impressed at how someone as energetic and lively as Alfyn was showing such careful control. Then again, Alfyn was a very skilled apothecary, something that she knew firsthand. Her injuries from Sunshade had healed up within a couple of days thanks to his salves, but his skills were not limited to just that. Alfyn had succeeded at eliminating almost every discomfort that had accumulated within Primrose during her time at Sunshade. Any stiffness or soreness she had were fixed or eased with his careful hands and tinctures, and he had done it in a way that had made her feel perfectly comfortable. No wandering hands or hidden motives, just the desire to take care of his patient.

She just wished he could show the same self-control when it came to their travels.

“Say, Alfyn. What inspired you to begin to study medicine? I don’t believe you’ve told me yet.” Primrose asked, looking to start a conversation to pass the time.

“That’s a long story, but I’ll do my best to make it short for ya. Do you remember when the Great Pestilence came around 15 years ago?” Alfyn said as he leaned back on his hands. 

“Yes, I remember hearing about it when I was a child. It was one of the worst diseases known to man.`` Primrose responded, turning on her side to match Alfyn’s gaze.

“I actually ended up catchin’ it when I was small.” Alfyn revealed, chuckling dryly as he shook his head. “Man, it was one of the worst experiences of my life, still remember being tied down to a bed everyday coughin’ up a storm.”

“How terrible. I apologize for making you remember such a horrid experience.” Primrose frowned.

“Nah, it’s okay. To answer your question, I was inspired by the man who saved me from that disease. He was a traveler who was passing through Clearbrook, and after he heard I was sick he came to see me. Turns out he had the cure sitting right in his satchel, and for some reason he chose to use it on me. If it wasn’t for him, I might not be here right now.” Alfyn explained with a reminiscing look on his face. 

Primrose looked down for a brief moment with a melancholy shine in her eyes, only to find Alfyn’s eyes once more. “I told you, it’s a man-purse.” The dancer said with a wry smile.

Alfyn bolted upright with a clear pout on his face. “It’s called a satchel Prim! Shucks!” The apothecary shouted.

“You can call it a satchel once you start handling it like one. I swear, have you not seen how you treat that bag? Some would say you look like a young maiden.” Primrose heckled as she crossed her arms. 

“Well that’s cause - Oof!” Alfyn grunted as the line jerked him forward suddenly. If he wasn’t as experienced as he was, then the pull might have thrown him straight into the water. Instead, Alfyn was able to brace himself on something, which so happened to be Primrose.

“Alfyn wait - Ah!” Primrose yelped as the young man barreled into her before finding his footing. Once he was secure, Alfyn began to reel the fish in as steadily as possible. His mouth began to water as he was once again reminded of just how hungry he was.

“Yeah! C’mon, I gotcha… Almost there.” Alfyn muttered as he slowly made progress. Eventually, he was rewarded with the sight of a flailing trout just surfacing from the water. He pulled the fish onto land, where he was able to grasp it and swiftly end its suffering. Alfyn always made sure to practice fishing as cleanly and humanly as possible. There was no point in letting the fish die slowly out of the water.

“Woohoo! Looka the size of that beauty! It’s nothing to brag about, but with what we’re working with I’d say that’s a gold medal. Whatcha think, Prim?” Alfyn turned to the dancer, smiling widely with excitement.

He was met with a sharp pinch to his arm.

“Yeowch! Prim!” Alfyn complained as he gingerly rubbed his arm. She hadn’t pinched hard enough to injure him, but it still hurt.

“Alfyn, you ass! What on earth told you that grabbing onto me like that was a good idea!?” Primrose glared, with a slight amount of sting to her voice.

“Shucks Prim, sorry! But if I didn’t then I woulda flown face-first into the pond.” Alfyn apologized as he continued to rub his arm. “Wait, I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you curse.”

Primrose shook her head. “Then perhaps I should curse at you more often.” She sighed before poking Alfyn’s chest somewhat playfully. “Well, I suppose I forgive you. Nearly plastering my face onto hard soil seems it was worth the sacrifice.”

“Right!? That fish should definitely be enough to completely feed one of us. Since I nearly made you eat it you can have this one. I’ll catch some more.” Alfyn offered, hoping to make peace with the dancer.

“There’s no need Alfyn, I was not truly angry. Only surprised. However, if it happens again I will toss you into the water and use you as fish bait myself. Is that clear?” Primrose threatened jokingly as a smile began to form on her face.

“Yes Ma’am!” Alfyn shouted with a salute, making the dancer chuckle lightly.

“Now, let us continue. If I’m right, it’s going to take more than just one fish to quench your appetite.” Primrose said, pleased with Alfyn’s reaction.

After continuing for what seemed about an hour, the apothecary somehow managed to snatch up two more trout. Alfyn grinned. Even if he had gotten lucky, being able to catch three respectable fish with nothing but a bottle and a couple of makeshift hooks was nothing to scoff at. It looked like his skills hadn’t gotten rusty after all.

“Consider myself impressed. In all honesty Alfyn, I thought you would only be able to catch us a single fish. It appears your words earlier were not an exaggeration.” The dancer praised as they made their way back to the camp.

“Thanks, but even I didn’t think it’d go that well. Figured it’d us take at least another hour to catch a couple. No complaints here though!” Alfyn grinned as he set the fish down next to the fire. All they had to do now was clean the fish, which was a task that’d likely fall to Alfyn considering Primrose’s lack of experience.

“Agreed.” Primrose nodded before looking up at the warming sky. “It looks like we are in for a pleasant evening. What an improvement on the nights we have had recently, hmm?” 

“Yeah, no doubt there.” Alfyn laughed in agreement as he sat down in front of his tent. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, taking in the air around him. “It’s been a good day for sure.”

“Yes, yes it has.” Primrose smiled as she watched Alfyn relax. It was days like these that reminded her just why she’d set out on her journey. “And it’ll only get better once our stomachs have been filled. We can lounge around later.”

“Ugh. Yes Ma… “ Alfyn groaned, exaggerating as he reached for one of Primrose’s blades to begin preparing the fish. Primrose handed him one, but not before gently smacking his arm for his mocking comment. Alfyn chuckled lightly before turning towards his newly caught trophies with a knife in hand and began to work. It wasn’t long before the two were cooking the fish over the steady fire, and when night fell they ate until their stomachs were full and merry. 

Later that night, as the fire began to dwindle into tiny embers, the two began to share more stories from their childhood. They talked and laughed for what seemed like hours as they each listened to each other relive their past memories, completely unconcerned with the need to rest for their trek the next morning. Eventually, the pair finally decided to turn in for the night, and as his eyelids slowly closed Alfyn couldn’t help but notice a warm feeling growing in his chest.

Because for the first time since he had left home, he fell asleep feeling as if he was still there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hello! Thank you for making it this far. This chapter was one that I had a lot of fun writing, but actually set me back quite a bit. I ended up rewriting the entire second half, as the original seemed a bit too serious for my taste, considering the majority of the chapter is being told from Alfyn's perspective. As a result, it seems like the story will be updated a bit more slowly then I would have originally thought. You can expect the next update to be fairly reasonable, but after that it'll be up in the air for the most part. I want to be as transparent as possible.
> 
> As I mentioned previously, I would be writing some content entirely on my own. This chapter here is an example of that. I was inspired by a piece of fan art I saw quite some time ago, and also because I wanted to highlight some more of the experiences Alfyn might have had at Clearbrook. I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> I give my thanks and appreciations to those who have read!


	3. Promise

"And you may take whichever you fancy."

"R-really!? I-I could never take something so precious from you!"

"It's okay, lass. I insist. Of course, I offer the same reward to your friends."

Primrose's eyes widened as the merchant captain turned towards herself, Alfyn, and Olberic with a genuine smile on his face. He wasn't serious, was he? The dancer had little experience in the art of trade, but even she could tell that some of the riches the captain was offering were worth far more than all of them combined. A reward of this magnitude for simply dealing with some pirates was overly generous, even for a man as caring as Leon.

Almost as if he was reading her mind, the captain nodded firmly in confirmation before turning around to talk with Tressa once more. Primrose was shocked to find that he was being sincere after all. How ironic was it that a former pirate as infamous as the great Leon Bastralle was now willingly gifting his treasures to a small group of travelers? Granted, Primrose imagined that if it had been anyone but Tressa then Leon wouldn't have been as benevolent. It was clear that he had taken a liking to the young girl.

After a few more moments the young merchant thanked the captain and began thoroughly searching the ship deck for the finest treasure she could find. Primrose giggled as she watched Tressa get increasingly excited as she picked up treasure after treasure. At this point, not even a fully boosted Olberic would be able to drag her away from the boat.

"Please, help yourselves. She would never have been able to stand up to those pirates without you three at her side. You have my thanks." Leon said as he approached the trio.

"Shucks, we should be thanking you for coming in to help us there at the last minute." Alfyn smiled brightly. "Promise I ain't gonna take anything too valuable, maybe just something that'll get me an extra mug at the tavern."

"The same goes for me." Olberic chuckled, nodding towards Alfyn in agreement. "Nothing is quite as refreshing as a cool drink after a long day in the sun."

Leon laughed heartily. "Agreed! Now I find myself regretting my choice to leave with such an opportunity, but sadly the sea calls. My friends, when we next meet I expect for you to be prepared for a lengthy night at the tavern."

"Aw, now we're talkin'! It's a promise." Alfyn exclaimed, raising his fist in the air in excitement.

"Aye. Well, as I mentioned before please help yourselves if you find anything you fancy." The captain spoke before extending out his hand. "Till next we meet."

After each of them shook hands and bid farewell to the great master of the seas, the three began searching for anything that caught their eye. Olberic eventually settled for what appeared to be a new shield equipped with spikes along the edge. The former knight called out to Primrose and Alfyn to let them know that he would be waiting at the docks, seemingly content with his decision. The dancer and the apothecary, however, weren't as lucky in their search.

"Man, I just can't make up my mind! Whatcha think, Prim? Should I go with this enchanted scarf or this awesome looking badge? Ooh, wait! Maybe this hat would be better…" Alfyn wondered, placing the hat atop his messy golden hair.

"Alfyn. I sincerely hope that you don't actually believe you look good in that, because if you do I must insist that you take me with you the next time you are shopping. Otherwise you'll end up a travesty." Primrose frowned.

"H-hey! That's a bit mean dontcha think?" Alfyn pouted, taking the hat off and giving it a second look. "C'mon, it's not that bad."

Primrose's only response was to raise a single eyebrow, hoping Alfyn would get the message. Seeing her expression the young man huffed and set the hat back down where he had found it, but not before sticking his tongue out at Primrose, which she ignored. If anything, she had done him a favor.

"Guess I'll go with this badge then." Alfyn nodded and turned towards Primrose. "What about you? Find anything you like yet?"

"Not quite. There was a jewelry box I saw earlier with a couple of earrings and rings I thought were lovely, but I've got plenty already." Primrose hummed thoughtfully. "Though perhaps the case itself would be nice to have."

"That so? Well, I can help look if you'd like. Not like there's anything better to do." The apothecary said as he slowly stood up. "I'll go look over where Tressa's at, holler if ya find something."

Primrose nodded before turning towards the side of the boat once more, letting out a small sigh. The dancer truly hadn't found anything besides the box that she was fond of. Perhaps she was being too picky. Primrose had decided on settling for something small and easy to carry, but that criteria appeared to be severely limiting her choices. As she rummaged through another section, the dancer decided that she would choose the box if she hadn't found anything else by the time Tressa picked out her reward.

Almost on cue Primrose heard Tressa blurt out in excitement on the other side of the ship, which likely meant that she had found what she wanted. Primrose raised her shoulders in a shrug. That settled it, she would take the jewelry box that she had found earlier. It certainly was not a bad choice, especially for a job as simple as dispatching some mediocre ruffians. Still, the dancer had hoped to find a reward slightly more fulfilling than a material object.

"Prim!"

Primrose swiveled her gaze towards the direction of the voice, only to find Alfyn walking towards her with what seemed to be a large piece of clothing draped over his shoulder. Primrose noticed that his eyes were shining in excitement, which suggested that he had found something for her.

"Ah Alfyn, I was about to call out to you. Did you find anything?" Primrose asked with a small smile.

"Yup! Found this beauty hiding away in a corner next to where Tressa was searching. Thought you might like it." Alfyn nodded, handing Primrose what he was carrying, which she accepted graciously. The dancer held the garment out in front of her to get a full view of what Alfyn had brought her, letting out a small breath once she realized exactly what it was.

It was a hooded cloak, one that appeared to perfectly fit her size and frame. The loose garment matched her dancer attire perfectly, red with little bits of gold woven alongside the edges of the cloth. It was fastened in the front with a small golden trinket, which seemed to have been polished recently as it shone brilliantly underneath the bright sun. Primrose noted that the fabric was very soft and smooth, indicating that the cloak had been made with expensive textile.

"Oh my, this is quite lovely." Primrose whispered in amazement. Whether that amazement was directed towards the cloak itself or the fact that Alfyn had managed to find such a treasure with his dreadful fashion sense, she didn't know.

"Right? I thought it was perfect. It really suits ya." Alfyn chuckled lightly, the corners of his mouth curving further upwards with each passing second.

"Yes, very much so. But why a cloak?" Primrose asked, meeting Alfyn's eyes with interest.

"Well, you're heading north here soon and I figure the cold is gonna start botherin' you a lot more, especially with your dancer outfit. I know just how much ya don't like the cold, so I thought you might want an extra layer. And since you probably can't afford anything at Atlasdam, I was hopin' to find ya something here that could help with that." Alfyn explained, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh." Primrose blinked in astonishment before quickly coming back to her senses. "Why Alfyn, how incredibly kind and considerate of you. I wasn't aware that you had paid such close attention to that."

"Aw it's no big deal, really!" Alfyn laughed, waving both of his hands in front of him to deflect the flattery. "It's the least I can do."

"Thank you, truly. This is very sweet of you." Primrose smiled genuinely, before reaching over and planting a small peck on the young man's cheek. "I love it, and will gladly take it."

"U-um Y-yeah! You're welcome." Alfyn stuttered, a deep blush blooming across his cheeks. Primrose held down a giggle. It appeared that he wasn't familiar with such acts of affection. How cute.

The two made their way off the boat and joined Olberic who was sitting down on the edge of the dock eyeing his new shield. The three took some time to examine what each of them had chosen for their reward as they waited for Tressa and Leon to say their farewells. Eventually, the young merchant came off the ship clutching her chosen item to her chest, a notebook that had clearly seen its years. Even so, Primrose was sure that the notebook would be worth more to Tressa than anything else that had been on that ship.

Just like what her father's dagger had ended up meaning to her.

*

"Heya Tress! Come over here and help me stuff this thing into my bag." Alfyn muttered as he tried to cram a blanket into his new knapsack.

"Sure thing Alfyn!" Tressa called out, making her way towards Alfyn.

"If one were to tell me that those two were brother and sister, I might actually believe it. It's hardly been a day and they're already calling each other nicknames." Olberic chuckled as he watched the two groan as they used all their might to force the cover into what little space was left in the bag, high fiving each other once they succeeded.

The four of them had decided to pack together once they had learned that Tressa would be accompanying them on their journey, seeing as this was her first time traveling. The poor girl had come out of her room practically wearing an entire house on her back, likely overpacking due to her excitement. Primrose had delicately told her of her mistake, but not before Alfyn and Olberic had exploded in laughter at the expense of the merchant's dignity. Primrose herself had barely managed to suppress her own giggles, and later also burst out in laughter after the young girl began playfully punching the men in embarrassment. Once they had all calmed down the group finally began their task, instructing Tressa on how to properly pack as they gathered their belongings.

"Indeed." Primrose mused in agreement. "They'll make quite the pair during our travels."

Olberic shoulder heaved slightly as he let out a small sigh. "Yes. It's unfortunate that our apothecary friend won't be joining us for much longer."

Almost immediately Primrose felt her chest go hollow as she was once again reminded that Alfyn would no longer be joining her on her quest. The apothecary had heard a rumor while they had been in Cobbleston of a sickness that had been plaguing Goldshore, a town that was located to the far east of Orsterra. Instead of going on foot, Alfyn had decided to accompany Primrose and the newly joined Olberic to Rippletide, where he would take a boat that would take him to the sandy shores. Alfyn would still be going with them to Atlasdam while he waited for the ship, but would be returning to Rippletide shortly after.

"Until we reach Atlasdam. That's right…" Primrose thought solemnly, remembering Alfyn's words from back when they were just leaving Sunshade. This had been his original plan, so there was no reason to be surprised. Still, the dancer couldn't deny the disappointment she felt over her friend's departure.

"Primrose, is everything alright?" Olberic asked with concern, noticing the dancer's solemn expression.

"Yes, yes. Forgive me, I just spaced out for a moment." Primrose shook her head, before meeting Olberic's eyes with a fake smile.

"I see…" Olberic responded carefully, making sure not to probe the subject further, which Primrose appreciated. Surprisingly, the warrior was actually quite thoughtful and perceptive, two qualities that the dancer had found she greatly appreciated about him.

The legendary "Unbending Blade" had been an extremely welcome addition to the party. Not only did Olberic boost their battle prowess considerably, but he also provided the group with consistent wisdom and experience. Thanks to his age, the former knight always remained calm and level-headed, which made him a dependable figure for herself and Alfyn. At times, Primrose could even see her father within the seasoned warrior, which was something she didn't acknowledge easily. If Tressa was the new sapling that had just started to grow into her full potential, then Olberic was the fully matured oak that had already cultivated years of experience with his talents.

"Olberic, do you ever wonder just how those two are able to constantly live with so much cheer and delight despite walking such paths like ours?" Primrose asked, meeting the warrior's gaze with honest eyes.

Olberic closed his eyes and brought his hand to rest against his chin as he hummed in thought. After a few moments, the former knight reopened his eyes, taking in a breath before he spoke.

"I'd imagine their general disposition plays a factor, but I honestly believe that it's entirely different strengths and motivations for each one." Olberic nodded, content with his answer.

"How so?" Primrose replied, curious about what Olberic had meant exactly.

"Well, I'd imagine Tressa's strength likely stems from her desire to see the world and each wonder that it holds. In her case, I'd call it vitality. But Alfyn is different. He shares the same vigor and energy, but it comes from a deeper motivation within himself than hers. In his case, I might call his strength courage." Olberic said, making sure to lower his voice so that only Primrose could hear his commentary.

"How observant of you. Even now I continue to be surprised with your judgment." Primrose praised, showing her appreciation with a small smile. "Thank you, Olberic."

"You're very welcome. Now, I do believe it is time for us to finish up here. I find that my throat has become quite dry." Olberic grinned before calling Alfyn across the room. "Alfyn! Why don't you finish up so we can pay a visit to the tavern?"

"Sure thing your Lordship!" Alfyn exclaimed, casually flipping his knapsack against the wall. "Prim, Tress! You guys comin' too?"

"Nah, I should really spend the last night here with Ma and Pa." Tressa smiled with a bittersweet expression on her face. "It'll be a while till I see them again after all."

"Oh shucks, you're totally right." Alfyn nodded before turning to face Primrose with a smirk. "But you have to come, Prim. I gotta get revenge for beating me back at Cobbleston."

"I don't think you stand much of a chance, lad. Last time she nearly drank you out of the tavern." Olberic taunted, remembering just how easily Primrose had won.

"Hey, that was an off day for me! This time I'm at the top of my game, I can feel it!" Alfyn grinned as he clutched his fist in determination.

"Ah, I'm sorry Alfyn. I think I'm going to pass tonight. Some other time, alright?" Primrose smiled apologetically as she placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "I'll meet you at the inn later."

"Y-yeah… sure thing Prim." Alfyn said with clear concern showing on his face. Normally the dancer would have responded with some snarky comment or a teasing suggestion. Turning in so early was rare for her, especially on such a nice evening. Alfyn's eyes followed Primrose as she hastily walked towards the door and exited the house. The apothecary couldn't help but notice her odd behavior. It was the first time since Sunshade that Alfyn had seen her act like this.

And just like back then, he wasn't going to let her stay that way for very long.

*

Primrose sat at the edge of the docks rocking her legs back and forth to the smooth sound of waves, her eyes aimed upward so she could fully take in the serene night sky. Today had been the first time the dancer had seen the ocean since she was only a small child, and she found that she had grown quite fond of it. Primrose found the open sea to be truly breathtaking, and the rumbling of water had always worked wonders at helping her calm down her mind. Occasionally, the water would hit the wooden pillars just right so that a little sprinkle would brush up against the bottom of her feet, sending a refreshing shiver throughout her body.

"I can't believe I wasted away all of those years in that dreadful town when there was a place like this." Primrose thought wistfully.

The dancer had come out to the docks after spending a short time at the inn in hopes of clearing her head. But unfortunately, not even the gentle sound of the water could help her this time. The reminder that Alfyn would be leaving the group fairly soon had jumbled her mind, resurfacing memories and emotions that she had long pushed away. Memories that she had never faced properly to this day. The deaths of Yusufa and her father.

No matter what she did, the thoughts of their deaths continued to plague her psyche, and after some time Primrose found herself feeling slightly depressed. And she knew why as well. As always, someone that she had grown to care about would be leaving her once more. The only solace was that, at the very least, this time she wouldn't be left all alone.

But how long would that last? How long would it be until Olberic and Tressa went their separate ways as well? Would she go back to those horrid days of wandering Orsterra on her own? Was her quest for revenge a path that only she could walk?

Primrose sighed. Perhaps it was best for her to close off her heart once and for all…

"Heya, Prim?"

The sound of her name cutting through the ocean breeze managed to snap Primrose back to reality. She turned to face whoever had called out to her with the best smile she could put on, only for it to drop from her face immediately once she saw who the voice belonged to.

"Alfyn." Primrose said, eyes widening slightly.

The apothecary nodded with a smile and slowly walked over to where she was sitting. "Is this seat taken?" He asked with a light tone to his voice, clearly asking whether or not his company was welcome.

Primrose gave a small nod before shifting over to the right slightly to give Alfyn more room as he sat down to join her. Once he was settled, the apothecary carefully took off his boots and set them down on the docks over on his left side. He then swung his bare legs over the edge and began to kick back and forth just like Primrose had done earlier. Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, Alfyn exhaled slowly and within seconds all the tension in his body vanished.

Now that he was comfortable, Primrose expected that the apothecary would start a conversation. Instead, Alfyn simply stared out into the ocean with tranquil eyes and an easy smile on his face. Primrose was puzzled. Hadn't he and Olberic gone out to the tavern? If not, then why was he here now? She had told them that she would be waiting for them at the inn.

"Alfyn, what happened to your plans with Olberic? Were you two not going to visit the tavern before heading to the inn?" Primrose asked, deciding to break the silence.

"Yup, but I decided to pass on it too. Figured I'd take the night to wind down a bit." Alfyn shrugged before wincing slightly. "Though I do feel kinda bad leaving Olberic hangin' out to dry like that, but he said he'd be just fine."

"I see." Primrose nodded, turning her gaze out towards the water as well. "Then did you come here to relax as well?"

"That's part of it. Well, first I went to the inn but then I noticed you weren't there. So I looked around for a bit and found ya here." Alfyn explained as his lips curved into a small smile. "It's a good spot, ain't it?"

"Yes, I've grown quite fond of the Coastlands it seems." Primrose admitted. The dancer tried to say something else, but found that the words wouldn't come out. She looked down and pursed her lips, upset that she was acting so distant. Normally, Alfyn would plug up whatever holes in the conversation she made, but this time he simply let the silence linger.

"Alfyn." Primrose breathed out nervously, turning her head in his direction. "Is there not something that you wish to discuss?"

"Only if ya want to." The apothecary responded, meeting her gaze.

"What do you mean?" Primrose asked.

"I can tell somethings botherin' ya, but I don't wanna make you feel like you have to talk to me about it. If you want, we can sit here just like this and enjoy the view." Alfyn said. "Just know that I'll always lend an ear if you need it."

"That's very considerate of you." Primrose smiled. "I appreciate it."

"Nah, you should be thanking Olberic. Told me not to be an idiot before I left. If it wasn't for him then I probably woulda been all up in your face trying to get you to talk." Alfyn chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Primrose giggled lightly. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Right? I swear, his Lordship sometimes makes me feel like I'm still just a little brat running around with nothing but air in his head." Alfyn whined. "I'm a grown man goddamn it."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that." Primrose purred jokingly.

"Very funny." Alfyn said as he rolled his eyes. "Aren't you only two years older than me? So what does that make you, a brat going through puberty? That's even worse."

"Rude. You should know that I am the most dignified woman you will ever meet." Primrose pouted. "It'd be best not to belittle such a maiden. Fair warning."

"Says the table dancer." Alfyn muttered underneath his breath, making sure he said it just loud enough for Primrose to hear. His comment earned himself a sharp pinch to the side, something that Primrose seemed to have grown fond of doing when dealing with the apothecary, much to his chagrin.

After a few more snarky comments, the two returned to a comfortable silence as they looked out over the dark water. Primrose found that she was no longer feeling dejected, and instead focused on fully enjoying the beautiful night sky in front of her. No matter the situation, Alfyn somehow always managed to raise her spirits. Not even her father or Yusufa had been capable of doing that.

"Say Alfyn, do you know how old Tressa is? I don't believe she's told me yet." Primrose asked, looking to start the conversation once more.

"She's 18. Might as well be 12 though with how much energy she's got." Alfyn smiled. "That ain't a bad thing though. It's gonna be a ton of fun travelin' with her. Y'know, she kinda reminds me of myself when I was her age."

"Indeed. Olberic and I likened you two to brother and sister earlier." Primrose laughed. "Alfyn Colzione. Hmm, it has a nice ring to it."

Eh, what about Tressa Greengra… Ew. Nevermind." Alfyn said, scrunching his nose. "Doesn't fit well at all. Well, guess I'm a Colzione now!"

"I'll make sure to keep that in mind." Primrose giggled lightly. "I'm sure everyone back home at Clearbrook will be surprised with your adoption."

Alfyn laughed happily and Primrose couldn't help but notice how familiar that sound had become to her ears. Alfyn always found a way to remain lighthearted and cheery, qualities that were almost completely foreign to the dancer. Aside from the tourists, the people of Sunshade were mostly void of any sort of joy in their steps. Even back when she was just a child, the environment around her at the Azelhart manor had been more cordial and polite rather than upbeat and hearty. For the first time, she was surrounded by people who were able to naturally laugh and smile without a worry in their hearts.

And slowly, but surely, she was beginning to do so as well.

"Come to think of it, I don't think you've ever mentioned your hometown before." Alfyn said, turning his gaze towards her.

"Is that so?" Primrose hummed. "Noblecourt. It's a city in the northeastern part of the Flatlands. House Azelhart has been the main governing body for many years now, and my father was the most recent lord.

"Shucks, even the name sounds all fancy!" Alfyn grinned. "The Flatlands, huh? Did ya like it there?"

"Yes I did, I found the lands to be quite charming." Primrose smiled nostalgically. "Back when I was a young girl I would wake up before the sun had risen and sneak my way into the gardens to watch the sunrise. I still remember how the sun would just peek over the hills as if it knew that I was watching. The sky would turn bright red and orange almost like it was on fire, and as a kid sometimes I thought it was like a painting that had been made just for me."

"Huh. Sounds like a nice place." Alfyn breathed softly, turning his gaze upward towards the night sky.

Primrose nodded. "My favorite color is red to this day because of those early mornings."

"Wow, such a romantic." Alfyn smiled lightly as he began to kick his legs back and forth once again. "Mine's green."

"If it was anything but green, then I'd be slightly concerned." Primrose chuckled. "It's even in your name."

Alfyn chuckled alongside the dancer before patting his green jacket with the palm of his hand. Primrose's eyes softened as she remembered that it had been that very same jacket that had caught her attention back at Sunshade. If he hadn't stood out because of it, then she probably would have never approached him.

"Yeah, but it's not just cause of that. Green reminds me of home and all the trees and brush that I grew up alongside with. There ain't a place as green as Clearbrook in the whole land, I'd say." Alfyn reminisced fondly.

"The way you speak of Clearbrook reminds me so much of my days at Noblecourt. Every once in awhile, I find myself yearning to go and pay it a visit. There is something so pure about your hometown, isn't there?" Primrose said with a longing tone in her voice. Even so, she knew that she couldn't go back, not until her quest was over.

How could she face her father's grave otherwise?

"Then how about this?" Alfyn exclaimed suddenly, extending his hand out to Primrose. The dancer met his eyes, and for a second his brown eyes seemed to glow with the same strength she had seen back at the catacombs. "A promise."

"Promise?" Primrose asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Yup! Before all of this is over, I promise you that one day I'll take you to Clearbrook and show ya all around the place. I'll introduce you to Zeph, Nina, Lily, Meryl, Magg, and even ol' grouchy Gertas! Then we can go traipsin' through the forest or take a dip in the river, whatever you want." Alfyn smiled brightly, his eyes brimming with excitement. "And at the end of the day, we can grab Zeph and Nina for a picnic at this one hill that's got a great view of the sunset. Whaddya say?

Primrose blinked in surprise at Alfyn's invitation. She had heard so much of Clearbrook from the young man during the time they had been together so far. Every time he spoke about the people and the rivers, the apothecary would speak with so much cheer and delight that it made her feel as if she was there. Primrose pictured herself sitting next to the river with Alfyn just as they were sitting right now, without a single care in the world. The calm rustling of the trees, and the hushed whisper of the wind…

How lovely.

"I'll hold you to that, Alfyn." Primrose smiled back. "And in return, I promise to one day bring you to Noblecourt. We'll tour the markets, the theater, and of course the tavern. Once we're done in the city, we can take a stroll through the grassy hills and fields at the edge of town. Finally, I'll give you a special tour of the Azelhart manor, and the gardens I told you about earlier. The sunset isn't quite the same as the sunrise, but it is beautiful all the same."

The dancer reached out and shook the apothecary's hand, her thoughts flashing back to their first meeting at Sunshade. She had been so cautious of him at first, and had only shaken his hand after he had proved himself friendly. Even then, she had done so for a completely selfish reason. Now, she grasped his hand without a single doubt, knowing it was full of warmth, trust, and compassion.

"It's a deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hello everyone! Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as it took me quite some time to write. This was definitely the one I knew I would have the most trouble with. I had an outline, but didn't really know exactly how I wanted the events to play out in my head. I'm fairly satisfied with the result though.
> 
> As I mentioned before, you can expect the next updates to be irregular. I am in the middle of a job search right now, so most of my time has gone into that. However, I do tend to have a good work/life balance so I'll make sure to continue working on this story whenever I can.
> 
> Thanks for all the support, it really does mean a lot. Till next time!


	4. Together

Alfyn was really hungry.

At this point he had grown used to it. His appetite was something that he had not thought about even slightly when he first set off from Clearbrook, but now it was revealing itself to be quite the problem. Thankfully, Olberic's stomach was also fairly demanding, which meant that he no longer had to hide away his hunger out of embarrassment. Also, it helped that securing food had become a much easier task with Tressa's bow.

Still, as the group of four approached the looming entrance of the great city of Atlasdam, his stomach growled in anticipation of a hot meal and a refreshing mug filled with his favorite drink. They had woken up early in the morning so they could arrive midday, which meant that the whole trip took them about two weeks in total. With company it hadn't been so bad, but Alfyn was starting to dread the trek back to Rippletide all by himself. At the very least, now he was used to travel and the preparations that came with it, unlike when he first left Clearbrook.

Well, slightly used to it.

"We're finally here! Look at how big it is!" Tressa exclaimed with pure excitement. Come to think of it, this was probably the young merchant's first time visiting a new town. He was happy for her. Alfyn's first had been his arrival at Sunshade, which to be frank, hadn't been a very enjoyable experience. Tressa's would be Atlasdam, a city that many people called the "Capital of Orsterra."

"Welcome to the big ol' world, Tress! Didya ever think you would see a place like this? Cause I know I didn't." Alfyn proclaimed, patting the young girl's head.

"Nope! I'd always hear stories from Ma and Pa, but this is way different from what I imagined. Ooh, just think about how much money I could make here! Makes my skin tingle." Tressa squealed as she pushed ahead of him.

Alfyn chuckled nervously. It hadn't taken him long to realize the young merchant always had her eyes on the prize. Within just four days, Tressa had already managed to save up more leaves than him. The apothecary would have to start asking a little more from his patients if he didn't want to be the poorest in their little group.

"What's even more astounding is just how much the city has grown in recent years. The last I came here it wasn't anywhere near the size it is today." Olberic said in awe, his eyes roaming through the rooftops.

"You've been here before your Lordship? When was that?" Alfyn responded in interest.

"Hmm. I believe it was around 4 years ago. I'd been living at Cobbleston for some time then, and I thought it'd be best to refurbish my home. The city was very impressive, but it seems to have grown even more since then." Olberic replied, gesturing forward with his hand.

Alfyn nodded. Atlasdam was certainly remarkable. Surrounded by a large outer wall, the city was only connected to the roads through a specific stone path and a drawbridge. The town itself was separated into two sections: the residential area and the royal area. The residential area was where the four of them were in now, and what a sight to behold it was.

To Alfyn, who had grown up in the Riverlands, each building seemed like it was an entirely different world. Each house was several times larger than his own humble abode, and he was willing to bet the insides were just as splendid as what was on the surface. The streets were arrayed with different types of restaurants and stores, each and every one of them filled to the brim with smiling people. The center was the town square, which was stocked full of families and friends spending time together under the gentle sun and bright blue sky. Unsurprisingly, right at the edge of the square sat the tavern, eager for the evening to begin considering the traffic within the city's walls. Even the inn itself was impressive, and was located far enough so that tourists and travelers could rest in peace away from the festivities.

If this was simply the residential area, Alfyn couldn't even begin to imagine what the royal castle and academy would be like.

"You can say that again. We'll never be able to hit everything in only two days." Alfyn chuckled, shaking his head in wonder.

"I'm more concerned about whether or not there will be rooms for us at the inn." Olberic mused. "And how much we'll be paying for it."

Before Alfyn could agree, the duo heard a voice from behind them.

"Don't worry, it's been taken care of."

Alfyn flashed a smile as Primrose strode confidently towards the two tall men, spinning one of her golden bangles around her finger casually. The dancer had volunteered to withdraw from the group momentarily to go procure two rooms at the inn, and apparently, she'd succeeded. However, Alfyn noticed a devious glint in the dancer's eyes, which likely meant that Primrose had duped some poor soul with her charms.

Again.

"Heya Prim! Things go well for ya at the inn?" Alfyn asked as their eyes met.

"Oh yes. I managed to secure us two rooms for the night, and with a handsome discount as well. We'll be able to spend our time here quite nicely." Primrose purred bewitchingly. Alfyn chuckled nervously, already praying for whoever had been unlucky enough to be the dancer's victim.

"I see. And was that because of the dear innkeeper's generosity, or some other more depraved means?" Olberic said with unease, exchanging a look with Alfyn. Both of the men knew exactly what Primrose was capable of when it came to these situations.

The dancer frowned, clearly sensing some type of disapproval from the two men. "And just what are you implying, Olberic?"

"Oh dear. It seems we'll have to tip rather graciously when we return to the inn, Alfyn." Olberic sighed, shaking his head sarcastically.

Primrose gasped, feigning shock. "How rude. Didn't anyone ever teach you not to assume those types of things about a woman? Isn't that right, Alfyn?" The dancer said as she turned towards the young man.

"What'd you go with this time, Prim? A quick flash, maybe a bite of the lip? Ooh, wait! I betcha ya went with the classic twirl of your hair. That always gets 'em." Alfyn teased with a smirk. Well, partially teased. It was very likely that she had used one of those tricks to get the discount.

"Fine then. You two can sleep on the streets for all I care. Honestly, Tressa is the only one that appreciates what I do for her." Primrose pouted.

Alfyn laughed as he nudged the dancer's shoulder playfully. Olberic managed to keep his stern expression, but the young man could tell he was doing everything he could not to laugh as well. His Lordship often had to refrain from taking part in the banter, seeing as he was one of the few sources of maturity in the group. Primrose was the other, but right now it seemed the brunette had woken up in a particular mood.

Still, the discount was appreciated.

"Speaking of, where is Tressa?" Primrose asked once she realized the merchant wasn't hiding behind either of the men.

"She went up ahead, most likely to tour the stores. I'm thinking of joining her. Would you two like to come?" Olberic nodded towards the other two travelers.

"Nah, I'm feeling mighty hungry. Figured I'd take a look around for a good spot to chow down. Atlasdam has gotta have some great stuff!" Alfyn smiled brightly. The apothecary had been anticipating his meal for quite some time now, and he wasn't about to delay any longer. He was a growing man after all. A simple man with simple needs.

"Oh, then I'll go with Alfyn. We'll try to meet up with you two later." Primrose smiled as well, facing Olberic. The knight nodded in response and turned around towards the shops with a wave. It wasn't long before even the towering Unbending Blade was lost in the sea of people. It would take Alfyn and Primrose quite some time to find him again.

"Alright! I think it's about time we grab us a meal! Do you want anything in particular Prim?" Alfyn announced enthusiastically. At this point, he didn't care what was on the menu.

Primrose hummed lightly before pointing towards a particular building. It was a small yet charming restaurant, with a few tables and chairs set outside the shop's front entrance. Inside, people were sitting comfortably in small groups of two or three as they sipped on a mug with a strange brown drink Alfyn didn't recognize. Outside, families flocked together around the tables and would share one giant meal amongst the entire group. Unfortunately, the line was out the door, but seemed to be moving relatively quickly at the very least.

"Could we dine there? There's a beverage that I haven't had in quite some time that I'd like to taste again. I'm sure the food will also be just as satisfactory." Primrose persuaded.

"Sure! And what's this drink you're going on about? It's rare to hear something like this comin' from you." Alfyn grinned as the two made their way towards the end of the line. "How strong is it?"

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, since there's no alcohol in it. Did you really think I'd be drinking at such an early hour?" Primrose giggled, twirling her hair around her finger. "But I assure you, it's still quite strong."

"How can something be strong if it ain't got any alcohol in it?" Alfyn asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's it called anyway?"

"Coffee."

*

Alfyn sputtered, still trying to get the horrid bitterness off of his tongue. He couldn't believe it. She had honestly tried to kill him. The apothecary had really thought that maybe Primrose had finally recommended him a new drink that he had never tried before. Instead, she had tried to poison him. Alfyn shuddered as he remembered his first sip of the overly hot and hostile liquid. Even now he could still taste the nasty beverage in his mouth.

He'd make a point to warn Tressa later.

"Stop exaggerating, Alfyn. I swear, people will think I tried to poison you." Primrose frowned as she looked up to the young man's face. After finishing their meal, the two had decided to take a stroll through the royal area rather than look for their two companions. It wasn't likely they would find them anyway.

"That's cause you did." Alfyn groaned once more, swallowing his saliva in hopes of getting rid of the aftertaste.

"No, I didn't. You just have the palate of a child, that's all." Primrose snarked, decidedly crossing her arms underneath her chest. Which of course, made Alfyn redirect his gaze elsewhere.

"I'm never trying that stupid cawfie ever again, ya hear me?" Alfyn grumbled underneath his breath.

"It's coffee, and if you can't handle something like this then you will never be able to best me at the tavern." Primrose shook her head in disappointment. "And to think when we first met I thought you a strong drinker."

"That's - Hey, what's going on over there?" Alfyn said with a concerned tone.

Right before Primrose could respond, Alfyn walked ahead of her towards what seemed to be a group of four people. Primrose's eyes widened in confusion and swiftly tried to catch up to the apothecary after calling out to him softly. Once she was close, Primrose noticed that Alfyn's eyebrows were furrowed and his hand had clenched up to a fist. He was completely serious.

Which meant something was seriously wrong.

As Alfyn got closer to the group of four people, he noticed that each of the members had a unique appearance. The first one to catch his eye was a beautiful young woman with fair blonde hair that reached down to her shoulders. She wore a snow-white dress accented with bits of gold and a hooded cloak of the same color. Next to her stood an equally attractive man with long black hair that was tied back into a ponytail. His outfit indicated he was somewhat of an aristocrat, and the way he carried himself signaled the same.

Across from them stood a surprisingly tall and strong built woman with light wispy brown hair that was tied back in a braid. She was dressed in what Alfyn recognized as hunter's wear, clothing that he was somewhat familiar with considering the Riverlands had its fair share of forests. Finally, a young man was listening to the group from a distance. He had messy white hair that covered a part of his face, and dressed lightly underneath a purple scarf and shawl. At first glance, he appeared disinterested in the group's conversation, but it was clear that he genuinely cared about the other three members.

Each of their faces was grim, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that something was up. However, they all didn't appear to be suspicious in any way, rather the opposite. Alfyn was sure they were each good people in their own way, and thankfully he was very familiar with those types of folk. Shucks, he'd even built an entire career out of it.

And so when the group finally noticed him approaching them, all he could do was put on his signature smile and hope for the best.

"Hello, can we help you?" Asked the handsome man with a polite smile.

"Nah, it's the other way around actually! Name's Alfyn, and I'm an apothecary. I was taking a stroll around these parts when I noticed you all lookin' all glum and sour. Was just wonderin' if I can help ya out in any way!" Alfyn laughed, rubbing the back of his head casually.

Almost immediately the man's expression shot up, practically beaming at the apothecary. "Oh, but of course! In fact, your help right now is very much appreciated. You see, one of my colleagues has unfortunately…"

"Professor, doest thou not think we should mayhaps withholdeth this type of information from a stranger?" The huntress interrupted and carefully met Alfyn's gaze. "Forgiven me, thou needest not feelen offended. 'Tis merely a delicate situation."

"But at the very least, wouldn't it be okay to hear him out?" The young woman beside her said delicately with a small smile.

"No, that's alright! I understand, wouldn't want to intrude." Alfyn nodded his head towards the huntress before he reached inside his apothecary satchel. "If you'll let me do something though, take these with ya. They're some of my tinctures I whipped up this morning. Guarantee they'll help ya stay on your feet in case of a fight."

The huntress blinked in surprise, eventually taking the concoction from Alfyn's hands with gratitude. "I thanken thee."

"It's quite alright. I'm afraid my dear Alfyn here has a habit of meddling in others affairs without much of a second thought." Spoke a feminine voice behind the apothecary.

"Prim!" Alfyn smiled sheepishly, realizing that he had left her behind. "Sorry, got a bit ahead of myself there."

"Indeed. It appears you've made some new friends. I suppose introductions are in order?" The dancer hummed curiously.

"Oh yes, my apologies. My name is Cyrus Albright, and I am currently working here as a professor for the Royal Academy." The scholar said amicably. "It's a pleasure."

"Mine nameth is H'aanit, and I comen from the Woodlands as a huntress. It pleaseth me to meeten such generous people." H'aanit nodded in agreement with Cyrus. "Mine partner Linde is awayeth at the moment, and so I shallen introduce her later."

"And I'm Ophilia Clement, a cleric from the Church of Flamesgrace. It is lovely to make your acquaintance." The cleric beamed brightly, before her eyes opened slightly in realization. "Oh, we've forgotten. Our companion over there is called Therion, and his talents are…Um."

"I'm a thief. Take that as you will." Therion scoffed as he approached the group, eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Primrose noticed that similar to Alfyn and his satchel, the thief kept his dagger within arm's reach at all times. It seemed that he would be one to take seriously.

"Shucks, it's not every day you run into a fella like you." Alfyn grinned at the thief as he rested his hands on his sides. "That's alright, you gotta be a good person if you've got friends like these around ya."

Therion merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged in response.

"And you miss? Prim, was it?" Cyrus inquired, meeting Primrose's eyes with a gentle smile. If Primrose was made of weaker stuff she might have been charmed by the handsome man. Thankfully, the effects of men had completely disappeared during her time at Sunshade. She was sure that Cyrus was a good man, but years and years of experience dealing with heinous men at the tavern had made her quite cynical.

"Primrose. Alfyn's taken to calling me that ever since we first met." Primrose spoke with a blank expression, briefly catching Alfyn's smile in the corner of her eye. It was true, ever since they had set out from Sunshade together he had referred to her as such.

"It's not just me, Tressa does also. Even Olberic does sometimes!" Alfyn said proudly, acting as if he was responsible for it.

"Tressa and Olberic?" Ophilia asked confusingly, tilting her head similar to the way Primrose did whenever she asked a question. "Are they your other companions?"

"Sure are! They're probably still out shopping right now since Tressa is a merchant. You all shoulda seen her eyes when we first got here, all bright and cheery. She's the cutest little thing, I tell ya." Alfyn laughed happily. "We were lookin' for them when we ran into you guys."

H'aanit hummed thoughtfully, resting her chin against the top of her hand. "Is Tressa thy sister?"

"You would think so." Primrose chuckled, shaking her head. "So, is there something we can help you with?"

"Oh, you'd also be willing to help us? How kind of you." Ophilia smiled tenderly, and almost instantly both Alfyn and Primrose felt a light feeling in their chest. The cleric's kindness was dangerous. If left unchecked, she'd accidentally have the both of them utterly devoted to her within seconds

"Perhaps. I'll follow whatever Alfyn decides." Primrose said with a small wave of her hand in gesture. Alfyn tried his best to hide his grin, but ultimately failed. The fact that he had gained her respect was a major accomplishment on its own, but also being able to earn the dancer's trust? Now that was special. He could count the number of people she trusted on one hand.

"We'll do whatever we can, as long as you'll have us" Alfyn offered, extending his hand out to the professor. Without hesitation the scholar reached out and grasped his hand firmly.

"We'd be happy to stand alongside you." Cyrus accepted warmly, taking his other hand and wrapping it around their handshake in appreciation. Behind him, Ophilia and H'aanit both nodded with a smile. Even Therion, who had slipped away from the group once again, had a small smirk forming across his face.

"I'll go find Tressa and Olberic." Primrose said before darting away back towards the residential area. Behind her followed Therion, who had apparently decided that to help search as well. With both of them on the prowl, they'd find their companions in no time at all. Full of confidence, Alfyn turned towards the group once more.

"Alright then, where to?"

*

"Shucks, Prim! For the last time, I'm not trying it again." Alfyn complained, crossing his arms decisively. Oh, he wasn't going to let her have her way with this one. He was going to stand his ground, even if it cost him his life. There was no way he would ever drink coffee again, and she was not about to convince him. In response Primrose huffed loudly, pointing her gaze away from Alfyn so he would know that she didn't approve.

On his other side, he heard Ophilia giggle lightly. A sound that he found he really liked to hear.

After the whole ordeal with Russell and the professor's subsequent resignation from the Royal Academy, the group had decided to go out and take the rest of the evening to relax in their own ways. Olberic had immediately gone to the inn to rest, as the poor knight had been left utterly exhausted having been dragged around by Tressa all day and taking the brunt of attacks from their battle. Cyrus, H'aanit, and Linde had joined him, both of them eager to converse with the warrior, but for completely different reasons.

Tressa and Therion had quickly gotten into a squabble concerning the rights and wrongs of the thief's…occupation. Eventually, the argument evolved into who had a better eye for trade, and with both of them being as competitive as they were there needed to be some form of closure. And so the young merchant and thief had once again made their way back to the shops, where Alfyn was sure the bickering would continue.

As for himself, the apothecary had decided to go out into town and experience how Atlasdam was during the nighttime. Unsurprisingly, the city was not any less busy than it was during the day. In fact, it was probably even more lively, considering most of the people out and about were no longer children and their families. Instead, it was young adults who were looking to spend the night with their friends and make some good memories. Alfyn certainly fit into the latter.

Joining him were Primrose and Ophilia, who had decided to tag along after hearing that the two both shared a love for coffee. After taking a stroll through the streets, the three had decided they would make their way to another, café? At least that's what Primrose had called it earlier. Well, as long as he didn't have to taste the bitter drink again he was fine. The food had been mighty tasty, and his appetite was starting to rise once again.

Plus, Cyrus had decided to share some of his ample savings with the group for the night. Alfyn couldn't just let him down, now could he?

After wandering around for a few minutes, the trio eventually decided to sit down at a fairly standard restaurant similar to the one they had visited before. However, Alfyn chose to eat outside as he liked hearing the bustling sounds of the city in the background and because the brisk evening wind felt refreshing against his vest. Ophilia joined him as well, and after some convincing so did Primrose. Alfyn knew the dancer wasn't a fan of the cold, but considering that coffee was a fairly hot drink it made more sense to drink it at a low temperature.

Still, as the group waited for their food, Alfyn noticed that Primrose was shivering lightly and had wrapped her arms around her waist hoping to warm herself up. Feeling sorry for her, the apothecary removed his green jacket and extended it out to her as an offer. He'd be just fine without it. Whatever the reason, Alfyn had a good tolerance for the cold.

"Oh, no. It's fine, Alfyn. I should have worn my cloak." Primrose shook her head politely after eyeing the jacket for a moment. With a sigh, the apothecary gently flipped the jacket onto the dancer. She could be so stubborn sometimes.

"Prim, just take it. Wouldn't want ya catching a cold." Alfyn chuckled as the dancer sheepishly nodded and began to slip herself through the jacket's sleeves.

"Would you prefer my cloak, Primrose? I am feeling a bit warm." Ophilia offered, fanning herself with her hand in gesture.

"That's a good thing Ophilia. I hope you stay that way." Primrose replied, feeling much more comfortable with Alfyn's jacket.

Once their food and drinks arrived, the three began to talk about each of their traveling experiences. Apparently, Ophilia had set out not long ago after she had met Therion and H'aanit in Flamesgrace. The thief and huntress had their own quests that required them to travel east, and so the cleric had decided to join up with them. They had just recently finished Therion's business in Noblecourt, much to Primrose's surprise, and were now planning on helping out H'aanit at Stonegard before heading back to Bolderfall. After hearing about their stories, Alfyn and Primrose shared theirs as well while the young cleric listened intently.

"Wow, so if you hadn't met Alfyn back at Sunshade there's a good chance you wouldn't be here right now…" Ophilia whispered in disbelief as Primrose finished telling her about what had happened back at the Sunlands.

"Indeed, I owe him a great debt." Primrose smiled with a nod.

"Shucks, it's no big deal, really! Just did what any decent person would do." Alfyn laughed proudly, patting his chest bravely in gesture.

"Yes, well, I'd also imagine that my looks played a part in it." Primrose teased with a wag of her finger. "Do you remember when we first met back at the market? Don't think I didn't notice your eyes drifting towards my chest."

Alfyn's face immediately flushed a deep crimson, and began to frantically shake his hands out in front of him in denial. "W-what!? They did not!"

"Peace, Alfyn. I was only teasing." Primrose giggled as the apothecary slouched down into his seat with a grumble. "Alfyn has the best reactions, Ophilia. Don't be scared to join in." The dancer said, turning towards the cleric while Alfyn protested in the background.

"Ah, I think I'll pass. It seems that you alone is more than he can handle." Ophilia chuckled nervously as she brushed away a wisp of hair that had fallen across her face.

"That's unfortunate. If we had two beautiful young women like us on his tail then I can't help but wonder what would happen." Primrose purred mischievously, until she heard Alfyn huff to her side.

"Alright, that's it. Until you apologize you won't be getting any more of those foot massages ya love so much. I won't even give you the salve I use for it." Alfyn asserted, taking amusement in Primrose's appalled reaction. "You can dance with sore feet for all I care."

Ophilia couldn't help but laugh as she watched the dancer and apothecary begin to bicker over the table. She hadn't known them for very long, only around five or six hours, but she could tell that the two got along well. While they were both perfectly comfortable with the other members of the party, it appeared that the two only ever acted this way around each other. Especially Primrose. Alfyn was constantly a joy and liked to joke around with anyone, even people he had just met. But the dancer was far more distant with the others than she was with Alfyn. It was to be expected, seeing as they'd been traveling together for quite some time now.

"You two are very close." Ophilia smiled, hoping to break apart what seemed to be negotiations concerning Alfyn's previous threat.

"Sure are! Ain't that right, Prim?" Alfyn said as he turned towards the dancer, who now looked at him with narrowed eyes. It appeared the young man had completely forgotten about the argument

"I had thought so, until this horrid betrayal. We'll continue this conversation at the inn." Primrose frowned, crossing her arms. "We're disturbing Ophilia."

"No, no! Actually, it's very entertaining." The cleric giggled genuinely, which elicited another wide grin from the apothecary. Making eye contact once more, Ophilia remembered a question. "So since Primrose is heading for Stillsnow, are you accompanying her there Alfyn?"

"Oh, no. I'm going back towards the Coastlands. Heard a rumor that there's something mighty nasty going 'round a city called Goldshore in the far east. So I wanna go there and help out as many people as I can. There's a boat in Rippletide that'll take ya close to there that I'm taking." Alfyn explained to the cleric. Much to his surprise, the cleric perked up immediately and leaned towards him excitingly.

"Did you say Goldshore!?" Ophilia asked quickly, to which Alfyn nodded slowly in surprise. "Goldshore is one of the places I must go to perform the Kindling."

"Is that so?" Primrose asked curiously. Ophilia had told them about the pilgrimage earlier and that she was traveling because of her sacred duty. But she hadn't mentioned exactly where it would be taking her.

"Yes, I am required to light the flame in Saintsbridge, Flamesgrace, and Goldshore." The cleric nodded after gently sitting back down in her seat. "I had originally planned to go to Saintsbridge first, but after hearing that Alfyn is heading for Goldshore…"

Alfyn gasped as he shot forward just as Ophilia had done moments earlier. "We can travel together!"

"Yes, that is what I was thinking. Two is better than one, after all." Ophilia smiled brightly. "Of course, if you would like to."

"Would I like to?! Shucks, that'd be great! I'll tell ya, I wasn't lookin' forward to going there all by myself, but now I'm stoked!" Alfyn laughed, pumping his fist into the air much to the cleric's amusement. "This is gonna be so much fun Ophilia, you'll see!"

"I don't doubt it. I'm sure it'll be quite an adventure." Ophilia laughed alongside the apothecary.

"Guarantee it! Ain't this great, Prim?" Alfyn exclaimed, turning towards the dancer with glee.

And was met with crossed arms and narrowed eyes.

Alfyn blinked for a few moments, staring at the dancer in confusion. He thought she'd be just as ecstatic as he was, but instead the dancer looked bothered and leery. He'd seen her act like this before many times, but often it was the result of something small and trivial. Like if a cat had just been sprayed by its owner.

Was it his fault? Did he do something to annoy her? Maybe she was still upset about what he had said earlier. No, that probably wasn't it. Primrose certainly held grudges, but she wasn't the type to be petty over such a small thing. Oh, it had to be the coffee! Anybody would be in a sour mood after drinking that. No, that wasn't it either. It was clear she was a fan of the drink.

"Is something wrong, Primrose?" Ophilia asked for him, her tone concerned and caring.

The dancer shook her head, looking down in contemplation. "No, it's nothing. It's just that…"

Primrose looked up at the cleric and the apothecary briefly, eyes flickering back and forth between the two of them. She did so quickly and discreetly, likely hoping that no one would spot it. Alfyn, of course, didn't catch it. On the other hand, Ophilia had too much experience handling her overly dramatic sister not to notice.

"I was thinking of accompanying you to Goldshore as well." Primrose said, turning towards Alfyn.

"Huh!? But the left crow…" Alfyn's eyes widened, clearly shocked by Primrose's decision.

"Will be there regardless of when I choose to go." Primrose interrupted, cutting him off with a wave of her hand. "Besides, I've waited for years. I can wait just a little longer."

"Then, why?" Alfyn asked, raising both of his eyebrows with anticipation. What reason did Primrose have to put off her quest for revenge? Hell, when they had first met it was just about all she could think of.

"Er, well… I simply don't think it'd be a good idea if you two went all by yourselves. It could be dangerous." Primrose flushed, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Ophilia noticed the dancer send another glance her way, and with the blush forming on her cheeks the cleric finally put two and two together.

"Ah, so that's how it is." Ophilia thought peculiarly, the corners of her lips tugging upwards in a curious smile. Now this explained a lot.

"Alright then! Shucks! This gotta be the best day ever!" Alfyn grinned widely towards the dancer, who met his eyes with a small smile of her own. "After we're done in Goldshore, I promise you that I'll go with ya to Stillsnow, Prim. It's the least I can do."

"Thank you, Alfyn." Primrose responded, clearly happy with her decision.

"Well then! If the three of us are going together, how about we let the others know? Maybe some of them would want to come with us as well!" Ophilia clapped her hands together, excited about her new companions.

"Indeed. I'm sure that Cyrus and H'aanit would be willing. The professor still doesn't know where he is heading, and Stonegard is on the way." Primrose said thoughtfully, twirling her hair around her finger.

"And I'm sure Tressa would at least consider it! I don't know about his Lordship or Therion though." Alfyn suggested excitingly. Just a day ago the apothecary had thought that he'd be walking the rest of his path alone. Now there was the possibility that he would be joined by some of the best people that he had ever met. How lucky was he?

"Imagine if all eight of us were to travel together? What a sight that would be." Ophilia said hopefully before closing her eyes in silent prayer and thanks. Never would she have expected things to go this well after leaving Flamesgrace. Aelfric was truly watching over her.

"Oh dear. We'd all look like some sort of traveling circus troupe." Primrose laughed into her mug before taking a deep sip of her drink. "So, what would we be called?"

"Ooh, I know! What about The Eight Musketeers?" Alfyn declared proudly, expanding his arms as if he was giving a show.

"Alfyn, that's practically plagiarism." Primrose responded, playfully jabbing the young man on his shoulder. Alfyn pouted sarcastically, before joining in the laughter. "Hmm, how does the Noblehart Band sound?"

"Primrose, isn't that just your hometown and last name put together?" Ophilia chuckled as she lightly shook her head, much to the dancer's displeasure.

Primrose huffed, narrowing her eyes at the cleric with a sly smirk. "Then what about you, Ophilia? Any thoughts?"

The cleric furrowed her eyebrows and leaned her cheek against her palm in thought. "Um…"

"Ah, how about the Octopath Travelers?" The cleric said finally with a snap of her fingers. "It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Alfyn and Primrose's eyes widened before exchanging a glance with each other. It was as if time had slowed as the name registered within their heads. After staring at one another for a few moments, they each nodded and turned back towards Ophilia with a stern expression on their faces.

"Nah, no good. Too corny." Alfyn shook his head with an apologetic smile. "Good try though!"

"Goodness Ophilia, I didn't know you were one for the dramatic." Primrose teased with a devious smile. "Surely you've done poetry in the past, hmm?"

Ophilia immediately flushed a deep crimson and shot forward in embarrassment. "N-no! Of course not! Oh, why would you even say that!?" The young cleric sputtered, covering her face in an effort to escape Primrose's badgering. Unfortunately for her, the dancer wasn't about to let her off the hook just yet.

"Oh, is that so? Then I propose a toast." Primrose declared, lifting her mug towards the center of the table. Grinning from ear to ear, Alfyn moved his mug and clanked against hers with satisfying vigor. After a few moments, Ophilia carefully poked her eyes out from behind her hands, warily eyeing her two newest companions. After noticing that each of them had calmed down, the cleric took in a breath of relief and moved her cup towards theirs as well. However, just as Ophilia was about to press her mug against theirs, Primrose spoke once again.

"To the Octopath Travelers."

And so the joyous night continued, filled with Ophilia's constant protests, Alfyn's roaring laughter, and an ever so quiet purr vibrating sensually behind a certain dancer's lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hello everyone! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. If you were to consider the way I've structured the story, I guess you could call this the end of "Act I". That being said, you can expect the next part of the fic to be even more focused on our primary pair. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the rest of the party; they're an essential part to the game after all.
> 
> This was a very fun chapter to write, especially since I ended up writing it fairly efficiently. I've found that writing from primarily Alfyn's perspective is much easier than from Primrose's or anyone else. Maybe it's because he was the main character during my first play-through. I hope you all enjoyed the coffee joke. As an avid coffee lover who doesn't drink it because of the caffeine, it was great content to write. Also, I had to break the fourth wall at some point, so please forgive the corniness at the end. It was the best I could come up with.
> 
> I'm still rather busy with everything going on, so updates are still irregular for the time being. Thank you all for your patience and understanding. I hope to see you next time, and have a good one!


	5. Sunshine

SLAM!

"Oops! You okay, Alfyn?"

Alfyn groaned, quickly clutching his nose in pain. "Shucks, Tress. Just about broke my nose."

The young girl smiled apologetically before wading through the water to make sure he wasn't actually hurt. If it had been anyone else in the party, then usually it was Alfyn who made sure they were alright. Whether it was a serious injury from battle or something as small as a papercut, that was the standard procedure.

Now, with blood starting to trickle down his nose, it was the apothecary's turn to be taken care of.

"Looks like you got a nosebleed." Tressa examined closely. "Just splash some water on it or something."

"Wow. Thanks for the diagnosis, doc." Alfyn sighed, gingerly rubbing his nose with the ocean water. "Next time, try not to aim the ball towards my face."

"It's not my fault you suck at beachball." Tressa mumbled underneath her breath, earning her a glare from the apothecary. He couldn't stay mad at her for long though. It had been his suggestion to play the sport, so he could only blame himself. Even so, Alfyn hadn't expected Tressa to be so…adept at handling the ball. Better to stop now rather than later.

And so the two began to swim back towards the sandy shore, where the rest of their party awaited them.

The group of eight travelers had finally arrived at Goldshore after what had been a very long journey. How long had it been, a couple of months? Alfyn could hardly believe it. The trek had been hard and persistent, and the only stop they had made on the way here was at Stonegard to help with H'aanit's quest. Thankfully, the trip had become much easier once they finally reached the Coastlands. Soft sand and gentle sea wind were much more preferable over hard rock and lack of air.

Their arrival yesterday had practically brought out tears from the less experienced and more sensitive members of their group. Alfyn had almost begun to cry too, but for different reasons. If he had to give even one more massage or foot rub to help "ease" soreness, then he would have to start imposing a quota. He was happy to help, but even the best apothecaries had difficulty handling seven patients at once. Unsurprisingly, the group had agreed to take some time off to rest their minds and bodies. Their business could wait.

After a quick meeting at the inn this morning, the team had decided to split up to better handle what they needed to do. It was decided that H'aanit, Olberic, and Cyrus would be accompanying Ophilia to the cathedral so she could perform the kindling, while the rest would spend the day at the beach to relax and recuperate. The only exception being Alfyn. Since the rumors about the sickness had been true, the apothecary would be in and out of the group as he scampered around the city treating the townsfolk. For now though, he had decided to spend some time unwinding at the sea with his friends.

As he and Tressa arrived at the shore, he saw Primrose walking their way to meet them. In her hands she carried two glass bottles filled with herbed water, which were likely for the two of them.

"Welcome back, looks like the two of you had a good time." The dancer smiled gently, handing the bottles of water to them both. Alfyn accepted it graciously, and threw his head back while chugging as much water as he could.

"Yeah! Well, until I hit Alfyn in the nose with the ball." Tressa laughed, taking a small sip of her water. "You shoulda seen it, Prim. It was so funny! His nose got all scrunched up like when he's messing around with his herbs."

"H-hey! My nose doesn't scrunch up." Alfyn gasped, finishing his water in one giant gulp. "Does it?" He questioned, turning to Primrose with anxious eyes.

The dancer nodded tenderly as she took the empty bottle from Alfyn's hand. "Yes it does, Alfyn. I thought you knew."

"Shucks…" Alfyn murmured, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Primrose held back a giggle. He was so adorable whenever he was like this.

"Whoa, is that your swimwear!?" Tressa exclaimed, noticing that Therion had finally made his way over to them.

"Yeah, got a problem?" The thief responded proudly, putting his hands on his hips to show off his new swim trunks.

"No, but does everything you wear have to be purple?" Tressa said pointedly, gesturing towards her neck to reference Therion's scarf. "That your favorite color?"

"No, purple just blends in well with the dark during nighttime. And I'm not emo enough to wear all black." Therion explained.

"Then what is your favorite color?" Alfyn asked, raising his eyebrows in curiosity. He had always assumed it was purple, but apparently it wasn't. Maybe it was grey, he had mentioned he liked it before during an earlier conversation.

"Dunno, never thought about it. Guess I don't have one." Therion shrugged, much to Tressa's disappointment. "Anyways, let's go over there Tressa. Bet I can skip rocks farther than you." The thief grinned cockily.

"You're on, shorts-stuff! 50 leaves to the winner." Tressa shouted, running towards the rocky cliffside. Therion followed behind her, protesting loudly about how he wasn't short and that he was taller than her.

After watching the two of them for a little longer, Alfyn turned towards Primrose with a grin. "Betcha 50 leaves that Therion wins."

The dancer merely raised a single eyebrow. "I'm not going to gamble against you again, Alfyn. I've learned my lesson."

"Scared?" The apothecary pushed further.

"No, just prudent. It appears that the gods have blessed you with good fortune to make up for your low alcohol tolerance." Primrose shot back with a wave of her hand. "Besides, purchasing this new outfit has left me rather low on leaves."

Alfyn nodded and let his eyes shamelessly wander for just a small moment. The dancer's new swimwear certainly didn't disappoint. The two-piece looked almost identical to her regular clothing, but replaced the high-slit skirt with a more practical bottom. The first thing that Primrose had done after arriving at Goldshore was to look for some swimwear at the local shops, even though her dancer's attire could easily serve her just as well. Still, he knew that Primrose was a woman of glamour. She was the type to go shopping, try on clothes, and show them off in ways that only she could. As long as she was happy and spending her leaves wisely then he had no room to complain.

Not like he was going to either.

"How was the water? Was it nice?" Primrose asked, snapping Alfyn back to reality. The dancer eyed him mischievously, likely aware of where Alfyn's eyes had been. Thankfully, the apothecary was too absentminded to notice.

"Felt great, Prim! You should take a dip yourself." The apothecary smiled. "Plus, it'll be good for all the tension you've built up in your joints."

"I was just planning on doing so, actually." Primrose nodded, setting down the empty glass bottles on the warm golden sand. "Care to join?"

"Sure, I'll stick around a little bit longer. You ready?" Alfyn asked, offering his hand out to her.

The dancer smiled and took his hand, letting the apothecary lead her towards the coast. Once they arrived at the edge of the waves, Alfyn stepped in first and then proceeded to help Primrose gently sink into the ocean. The dancer let out a small yelp as the water reached her hips, eliciting a laugh from the apothecary. Hoping to catch her off guard, he had made sure not to tell Primrose how cold the water was.

In return, Primrose splashed a wave of water onto Alfyn, grinning smugly as the young man spewed water out of his mouth in shock. He was still wet from his swim with Tressa earlier, but it appeared that he had dried up enough to still be stunned by the cold. Her grin quickly disappeared once she noticed the apothecary's devilish smile, and began to quickly regret her decision.

"Alfyn, don't." Primrose warned, the scared tone of her voice exposing her true feelings.

Alfyn grinned. He wasn't about to let such a meager warning stop him, and so he splashed the dancer even worse than she had done so to him. Primrose gasped, unprepared for the sudden chill that coursed through her body. After a few moments, the brunette ran her hands through her face, pulling her hair back and out of her eyes. She shot a glare at her medicinal friend, who was barely containing his hysterical laughter.

"Well then, it appears I'll be bathing rather early today." Primrose grumbled, which brought out yet another snicker from the apothecary.

"Aw, you were going to have to anyway. Might as well have some fun, right?! Besides, you started it." Alfyn said proudly. "Water feels good, doesn't it?"

"It's a bit cold for my liking, but I won't deny how refreshing it feels." Primrose sighed before letting herself float away on her back for a few moments. "Oh, this is quite nice."

"Relax all ya want, I'll make sure you don't drift too far into the ocean. Wouldn't want our favorite dancer ending up as fish food." Alfyn joked, paddling his way next to the dancer.

"Hmm." Primrose hummed, already lost in the calmness of her own mind. "That reminds me, you never did teach me how to fish while we were at Rippletide."

"Huh, you actually remembered?" Alfyn asked, smiling down at Primrose while carefully moving her flowing hair out of her way.

"Of course, you thought I would forget? I was honestly looking forward to it." The dancer murmured, opening one of her eyes to meet Alfyn's gaze. "Although…I suppose I did not sound all that enthusiastic about the idea when you suggested it back then."

"Yeah, no you didn't. And with everything goin' on with Tressa and those pirates I thought it'd probably be best if we left it out. We were only there for a day too." Alfyn explained, placing his hand on the dancer's shoulder so that he could gently push her back towards the shore.

Primrose sighed, closing her eye while bringing her hands up to rest on her stomach. "A shame."

"It's alright! I can still teach ya some other time. Somewhere where we won't have anything extra on our plates to worry 'bout." The apothecary offered.

"Like where?" Primrose asked with anticipation.

"Well, how about Clearbrook?"

Primrose opened her eyes only to find the apothecary's gaze aimed out towards the open sea. He wore a warm expression, the same one that he always had on when he talked about his hometown. Recently, the dancer had been thinking more and more about the promise the two had made back at Rippletide. The more she thought about Clearbrook, the more she wanted to visit. Primrose knew that if she let her expectations get too high then she would just inevitably be disappointed once she finally arrived. Even so, the town seemed like it would be so pleasant…and caring…and sincere.

Just like a certain someone she knew.

"I'd like that, Alfyn."

*

"Shucks, stayed out a bit longer than I wanted to." Alfyn sighed, clutching a white cloth that he had dried his hair with. After drying out on the beach for a moment, he had excused himself from the group so that he could go out and start treating the townsfolk. Primrose had said her goodbyes while drying her hair as well, but had done so with Therion's clothes rather than a cloth.

Oh well, what the thief didn't know wouldn't hurt him, she had said.

The apothecary had just finished talking to a few locals after making his way up the steps from the beach. Apparently, there was another apothecary in town who had already started on treating the bug that was going around. According to them, she had been able to whip up something that had cured the sickness in a single night. Even if the illness ended up being just a common cold, that was still mighty impressive. He'd have to seek her out later.

As Alfyn began to make his way towards the center of the town, he heard a heavy thud followed by a loud yelp. His eyes moved to where he had heard the sound, and found a little girl kneeling on the ground clutching her knee. It didn't take long for the girl to start sniffling and her eyes began to water.

"Are you okay, little girl? Here, you dropped something." Alfyn smiled warmly as he made his way over and knelt down beside her. "A seashell, is it?"

The girl looked up to him and sniffled before gingerly taking the shell in her hand. "Th-thanks…"

"Shucks, looks like you scrapped up your knee, Mind if I have a look?" Alfyn said, keeping his eyes level with the young girl. "Don't worry, I'll fix ya right up."

After the girl gave a small nod, Alfyn looked over the girl's knee. A small scrape, nothing too serious. Still, to the girl it probably felt like something much worse.

"Ouch, I bet that smarts. Trust me, I know the feeling. I'm always tripping over my own two feet." The apothecary chuckled, cleaning the scrape with a clean handkerchief before applying one of his best healing balms. "But every time you pick yourself back up, you'll find yourself that much tougher for it."

Once he was finished, he wrapped a clean cloth around her knee to hide the bloody scrape from the girl's eyes. For Alfyn, treating children wasn't over until they felt safe and sound, even if it was something as minor as a knee scrape.

"…That'll do 'er. One of my best healing balms, there! You'll be right and up within a couple hours." Alfyn grinned, offering his hand to the little girl.

The girl took his hand and carefully picked herself back up. After shaking her leg to make sure it felt alright, she smiled brightly upwards at Alfyn. "Thanks, stranger. I'm Ellen."

"Pleased to meetya! I'm Alfyn. That almost rhymes, eh?" Alfyn nodded.

"Ellen…Alfyn. Neat!" Ellen giggled, making Alfyn's smile grow wider. Her giggles sounded just like Tressa's. "Are you a medicine man?"

"You might say that. I'm what they call an apothecary." Alfyn laughed. "Helpin' out people when they got an ouchie like yours is what I do."

"Wow, I've never met one of you before! Nice to meet you, Mister Pock-a-therry!" Ellen exclaimed, looking up to Alfyn with wide eyes. The apothecary reached out and patted her head, earning him another giggle from the sweet girl.

"What a little precious ball of sunshine." Alfyn thought, gently rubbing Ellen's hair before opening his mouth to speak. "Alfyn'll do."

"Hey Alfyn? Can I ask you a favor?" Ellen asked, eyes brimming hopefully.

"Go for it."

"It's my sister, Flynn. She caught a fever and she's been in bed all week." Ellen frowned, looking down at her feet sadly. "She's always crying, and no matter how much she sleeps it just gets worse and worse…"

Alfyn's smile slowly disappeared. She must have caught the bug that was going around the town. And according to Ellen, it seemed like it wasn't just your everyday common cold. It was a good thing there were two apothecaries around.

"Say no more. I'll fix her up right as rain!" Alfyn proclaimed, clasping his hands together in a show of strength. "After all, that's what I'm here for!"

Almost instantly the little girl perked up, and pointed towards a nearby house. "Oh, thank you! Our house is right there."

Alfyn nodded towards where Ellen was pointing. "Gotcha, let's jiffy on over then. Oh, but we can't have ya walking over there with your knee like that, now can we? I wonder if there's something I can do…Aha!"

Alfyn reached out and scooped up Ellen in his arms, placing the little girl on his shoulders. It took the little girl only a few seconds before bursting out into giggles, ruffling up Alfyn's hair with her cute little hands. After making sure she was locked on his shoulders, the apothecary skipped towards the house singing out a little something he made up on the fly.

"Here we go! It's your friendly neighborhood Pock-a-therry and his dazzling new assistant! Ellen and Alfyn to the rescue!"

It was moments like these, Ellen giggling uncontrollably before singing alongside Alfyn with glee, that made him feel he was getting just a bit closer to his hero.

*

"Ugh…" Primrose moaned smoothly, stretching her arms up above her head. The morning at the beach had done wonders for all the stress and tension hidden deep away in her muscles. She would have to make more time for baths in the future if water worked this well for her.

Herself, Therion, and Tressa had made their way back to the inn, where they had continued to relax for a few hours. Therion had gone upstairs to take a nap as soon as they had arrived, and Tressa had decided to join Primrose at the lobby after spending some time in her room recording logs into her journal. The rest of their companions arrived shortly after, and Primrose was pleased to find out that the kindling had gone well. Apparently, they had also helped out some kids with a small dispute, which ultimately led to the group taking down a ferocious beast. The dancer couldn't even begin to imagine how those events had played out.

Now, they were all enjoying a nice meal at the inn courtesy of the cathedral's bishop. The only member missing from the gathering was Alfyn, who was probably still out treating the townspeople.

"Say, how long has our dear apothecarial friend been out now? He was with you this morning, correct?" Cyrus questioned, turning towards Primrose.

"I couldn't tell you just how long, but several hours at the very least. He was with us for only a short while." Primrose said, tapping her finger on her chin in thought. Maybe she should go out in search of him. Knowing Alfyn, he was likely overworking himself and had forgotten to eat. And Primrose knew just how large his appetite was.

"Cyrus, I think I am going to go search for him. I want to make sure he's taking care of himself. You know how he is." Primrose stood up, nodding to the rest of her companions to let them know she was leaving. "Could you keep me company?"

"But of course, just let me… Ah. Speak of the devil." The professor smiled widely, waving his hand to someone behind her. "Welcome back my boy! I trust everything went well?"

"That must be Alfyn." Primrose thought, turning around with a smile. However, that smile was short-lived, as the dancer immediately took notice of the apothecary's expression. Alfyn's eyebrows were furrowed with worry, and his jaw was tightly clenched as he stiffly walked towards them. His hands were curled up into hard fists, and his steps seemed to be heavier than usual. Primrose had seen him like this before, and it usually meant that something bad had happened. Still, this was the first time she had ever seen him this upset. What could have lit his anger to this extent?

"A-aflyn, are you okay?" Primrose stammered, which was rare for the dancer. Almost instantly the conversation around the table stopped as the rest of her companions took notice of Alfyn's demeanor.

The apothecary met her eyes and she noticed that the anger seemed to dissipate somewhat. "I'm fine, but there's an emergency. And I'm gonna need y'alls help to deal with it." Alfyn sighed, shaking his head fervently.

"What's wrong?" Ophilia asked, eyes glowing with concern. The cleric had been feeling exhausted after her adventure this morning, but it had all disappeared after catching sight of a friend in need.

"I'll explain on the way, the sooner we leave the better. And it could be dangerous." Alfyn explained, facing the rest of the group with a serious expression. "So I want you, Olberic, H'aanit, and Cyrus to stay behind. I know you guys must be tired from this mornin', and I don't want to put you in a tight spot where ya might get hurt."

"Absolutely not. You know my sword is always at your side, Alfyn. Just say the word." Olberic announced, quickly standing up from his seat.

"And mine bow." H'aanit agreed, standing up as well. Right beside her Linde wagged her tail excitingly.

"We're going." Cyrus said, placing a hand on the apothecary's shoulder.

"Shucks, you guys…" Alfyn chuckled, surprised at how ready his friends had been to support him without hearing about the situation.

"You know we are all behind you, no matter the situation."

Primrose was the last to speak, placing her hand across her chest in a gesture of reassurance. It took a few moments, but eventually the dancer saw all the enmity in Alfyn's eyes slowly fade away. He met her gaze once more, and this time Primrose recognized the man that she had grown to be so fond of.

He was back.

She breathed a sigh of relief. This was the way Alfyn should be. He was a man whose joy and happiness were practically infectious to those close around him, not a man who let his darkest emotions fester into something far more malicious. Hatred had no place within Alfyn's heart, and Primrose would make sure to keep it that way. No matter the cost.

And if that meant she'd have to take in all of his hatred inside her own heart, then so be it. She was used to it anyway.

Taking in a deep breath, Alfyn spoke again. "We're headin' to some caves to the east called the Caves of Azure. I don't know what's waiting for us there, but I know there'll be one hella twisted disgrace of an apothecary at the very least. And that's who we're after."

The group nodded and stood up from their seats.

"Lead the way."

*

"Howdy, Vanessa. Fancy meeting you here."

A look of shock quickly flashed across Vanessa's face, but she quickly recovered after seeing that the voice had belonged to Alfyn. Meeting his eyes, the vile woman's lips curled into a greedy sneer. It was clear that she didn't see him as a threat, and if Alfyn had been alone then she would have probably been right in thinking so. Thankfully he wasn't alone, and when the rest of his friends appeared by his side he noticed that her body stiffened.

Alfyn almost felt bad for her. He would've been nervous too if he had to face Olberic and H'aanit.

Unfortunately, even with the help of his friends, this was still going to be a rough battle. Further behind Vanessa and around the glowworm moss Alfyn needed to cure the Gaborra cough stood a good number of tough-looking men. It seemed that Vanessa had hired some strong mercenaries for protection against situations like this. Neither one of them looked to be as strong or broad as Olberic or Alfyn himself, but otherwise they were each all bigger than the rest of their party. Vanessa likely wouldn't be a slouch in combat either.

Still, Alfyn had to do this. Without the glowworm moss then the townsfolk that were inflicted with the Gaborra cough would never recover. Considering that most of the sick were children or the elderly, then there could be a lot of potential casualties if treatment wasn't given, and one of those potential casualties was Flynn. Failure was not an option. Under no circumstances could he ever allow that to happen.

"Hmph. So you sniffed out my supply, huh? Well, you're not as stupid as you look." Vanessa taunted, crossing her arms across her chest. "I was right not to share my notes."

Before Vanessa could even finish speaking, Alfyn felt Primrose next to him rush forward violently. As soon as she did the rest of his friends pressed up as well, raw anger as thick as Highland fog steaming from them aggressively. Much to their surprise, however, Alfyn extended his arm out to stop them. Turning around slightly he met Primrose's eyes, which were bright with fury and disgust. They looked just like when he had met her back outside the Sunshade catacombs. His eyes earlier had probably looked just like that as well.

Shaking his head, the apothecary looked right into the dancer's dazzling emerald orbs and opened his mouth to speak.

"It's alright, let me."

The dancer's eyes widened slightly, and averted her gaze by looking down at the ground while taking in a sharp breath. For a few moments, Alfyn saw various emotions flash across her eyes. First, it was shock, which was quickly followed by an intense fear. He also saw uncertainty and anxiety, emotions that he knew bothered Primrose far more than she let on. But with time, her eyes calmed, and eventually the dancer raised her head to meet his eyes once more. This time all he could find in her eyes was faith. Utmost faith.

And that was all he needed.

"That medicine you gave the townspeople for their fevers was brewed from Gaborra evergreen, wasn't it?" Alfyn said calmly, stepping towards Vanessa until he stood across from her alone. She responded with a laugh as smooth as silk, but said nothing otherwise.

"That was your plan all along. To induce the side effects so you could sell the remedy at a premium." Alfyn continued, narrowing his eyes slightly. "All under the guise of a virtuous apothecary who was helping those in need."

"Heh…You catch on quick." Vanessa purred, meeting Alfyn's eyes with absolute conviction. "I travel the land selling my potions and salves for more leaves than you'll see in a lifetime. And probably more than you'll ever be worth."

"What do layfolk know of illnesses and their cures? Nothing, that's what makes this job so easy." The young woman continued, taking a step towards Alfyn. "…If it weren't for rival apothecaries like you."

"What happened to your 'sworn duty to easy suffering'?" Alfyn questioned, his tone laced with sarcasm as he quoted her words from earlier.

Once again, Vanessa replied with a sultry giggle. "Here's some advice, little puppy. Don't trust anything you can get for free."

Alfyn simply raised an eyebrow, clearly asking for the woman to continue.

"A stately mansion, lavish dresses, fine wine…Why shouldn't everything I want be mine?" Vanessa smirked, flipping one her hands out gracefully.

"Oh, you're free to have what you want. But I won't let you deceive the weak and vulnerable to get it." Alfyn responded, crossing his arms decisively. "Not to mention all that stuff would be wasted on someone like you."

Vanessa rolled her eyes and scoffed, ignoring Alfyn's last comment. But it was clear from her glaring eyes and pursed lips that he had hit a nerve.

"Using your knowledge to inflict pain for profit!? You're a disgrace to our profession. Doesn't it make you feel anything to see people suffer?" Alfyn asked, letting his tone rise momentarily.

"Should it? The ailing, the injured…they're all tools to an end. Just like the little kittens I test my tonics on." Vanessa recited devilishly as she began to pace around Alfyn. He made sure to keep his eyes lasered on the wicked apothecary, as there was a chance she was about to make her move.

"They bring me leaves by the bucket. And when they've outlived their usefulness, they die. It's that simple." Vanessa said, crossing her arms and showing her heinous sneer. "Do you cry when you toss away a broken flask? No, of course you don't. So then, why should I?"

When he had first heard of what Vanessa was planning, he had lost almost all hope for the woman. Even so, there had been a small part of him that wished that maybe, just maybe, there was a way to make her see the error of her ways. Despite her malicious nature, he couldn't deny Vanessa's capabilities. She was an extremely talented apothecary, one that if set on the right path could do so much good for the world.

Perhaps even more than him.

But now, after hearing her words, he knew there was no chance that Vanessa could ever be redeemed. At least, the way she was currently. The best Alfyn could do was to make sure she was taken into custody, where she would be unable to cause any further harm and atone for her actions. That was the only path for her now, and she had brought it on herself.

"Unfortunately for you, there's no cure for a rotten heart." Alfyn lashed out, shaking his head in dismay. "And you're rotten to the core."

"So you don't care for my philosophy. Perhaps you'd care to die instead? Hmm?"

Vanessa stepped forward towards him, and with a simple wave of her hand the hired mercenaries came to her aid within seconds. They surrounded Alfyn, leaving only his backside clear where his friends were lying in wait. Despite readying their weapons the guards remained still, clearly waiting for Vanessa's orders. It seemed that the corrupt apothecary had a few more words for him.

"My ample wealth has allowed me to secure…good insurance, you could say." Vanessa announced confidently, scanning her eyes across the crowd before meeting Alfyn's glare once more. "You're a threat to my business, and you don't seem like the type to go home quietly. Or the type to keep your mouth shut even if you did."

"You're godsdamned right I won't!" Alfyn declared, pointing his fist towards Vanessa to show his conviction. His eyes flared brightly with burning resolve and unmatched determination, and for a moment his opponent felt intimidated. Was this really the same bumbling fool she met back at the manor district?

"On the contrary, I'm gonna brew a remedy and help those people." Alfyn continued, bringing his fist back and pressing it against his chest. "Not for profit, but because easing people's suffering is what I do. That is who I am!"

Motioning towards his friends with a nod, they all rushed to his side, ready and armed. Directly next to him stood Primrose, Olberic, and Tressa, each of them radiating the same energy Alfyn was showing.

The battle was here.

Vanessa sneered, stepping backwards slowly while uncovering her apothecary's satchel. "How noble, but here's my diagnosis…That flabby sense of justice will prove fatal!"

She leaped backward, signaling to her guards to rush forward while uncorking what Alfyn recognized to be a poisonous concoction. There was no way in hell he would ever let her harm his friends with his own abilities, not on his watch. Alfyn rushed forward to face her directly, and the rest of his group followed behind him. The apothecaries locked eyes, both of them shining intensely as the adrenaline surged through their veins.

"VANESSAAAAAAAA!"

*

"Alfyn!"

Hearing his name snapped Alfyn out of his thoughts. "Oh, Ellen. Flynn." He said, smiling down at the two girls. It was great to see Flynn out and at it again. Surprisingly, the young girl had managed to fully recover in just a few days. She certainly had spunk, just like her younger sister.

"Aww, we were trying to surprise you! It's been almost two days since you came to visit us!" Flynn pouted childishly, much to Alfyn's amusement.

Had it really been two whole days? Ever since the whole ordeal with Vanessa, Alfyn had been practically sprinting back and forth through the town treating everyone who had caught the Gaborra cough. Even if Vanessa was now behind bars, that didn't mean all the harm she had caused just magically disappeared. The young apothecary had been doing damage control for at least a week now, and apparently his exhaustion had built up to the point that he was starting to forget what the day was.

Maybe Primrose was right. It was about time he took a day off.

Thankfully, Alfyn had finally finished administering the treatment for all the inflicted people in the town yesterday. Now all he had to do was make sure they were recovering smoothly without any major issues. That meant his work would start to become much easier, which was something Alfyn was looking forward to. It wouldn't be long now until he set off with the rest of the group for the next town.

Still, Alfyn knew that he was going to miss Goldshore. The apothecary had grown very fond of the city, much more than any other town that he had visited so far. Parts of it reminded him of Clearbrook, and whenever he got to spend time with Ellen and Flynn he felt as if he was back home playing with Nina and Lily in the river. If the four young girls ever met, Alfyn knew they would be the best of friends.

What made it even more bittersweet was that the feeling seemed mutual, as the townspeople had grown to consider Alfyn and the rest of the party as if they were their own. The eight travelers normally would never be able to comfortably afford two rooms at an inn for over a week, but after hearing about how they had helped with Vanessa the innkeeper had insisted on letting them stay free of charge. Hell, they had even been invited over for dinner by Ellen and Flynn's mother just a few days ago. Even though Alfyn had repeatedly told Marlene that she didn't owe him anything for her daughter's treatment, she had insisted on preparing some local cuisine for everyone as thanks. Unsurprisingly, the meal had been absolutely mouthwatering.

However, they would all leave eventually, which meant that Alfyn would have to make the most of what little time he had left.

"You're already looking a hundred percent, ain't ya, Flynn?" Alfyn grinned, ruffling the girl's hair playfully. "Don't push yourself too hard though, we wouldn't want you catching a cold."

"Don't worry! I'm all better now, thanks to you!" Flynn nodded eagerly, which made the apothecary chuckle.

"But what's this? Looks like you two have been rolling around in the dirt all day." Alfyn said, raising an eyebrow once he noticed all the sand and dirt on both girls.

Smiling widely, the two sisters exchanged a glance, and it was at this point that Alfyn noticed that Ellen was hiding something behind her back. Based on the girl's behavior, it was probably something that they wanted to give him. Before he could ask what it was, Ellen walked closer and brought her hand forward to reveal what it was she was hiding.

"These are for you!"

Ellen opened her fist to reveal a handful of absolutely gorgeous seashells, each of them fully intact and flawless. There were at least a dozen, and all of them were each colored beautifully almost as if they had come from a coral reef. Alfyn never had an eye for treasure or materialistic riches, but as far as he was concerned these were far more dazzling than the finest jewels on the continent.

"Wowzers! Seashells, and scores of 'em." Alfyn exclaimed, picking one up to admire it.

"We found them together, Flynn and me!" Ellen replied, her smile widening further. "Thank you for helping us, Alfyn."

"Take care of yourself too, okay?" Flynn said, looking up at him with bright eyes.

"Shucks…" Alfyn whispered, already feeling his eyes beginning to water. These two girls were so sweet and caring. He couldn't believe they had done something like this for him.

"We spent all morning looking around the sand for them! We found as many as we could. We know you're poor." Ellen revealed. "Is this going to be enough?"

They got him these so he could sell them? No way. He'd keep these treasures for as long as he lived.

"I reckon it'll keep me fed for a while. Ya didn't have to…" Alfyn nodded, his voice starting to break. "Y'all take care of your mother now, ya hear?" As soon as he finished his sentence, the tears began to flow down his cheeks. Alfyn tried to hide his face from the girls by quickly turning around, but it was too late.

"He's crying! Alfyn's crying!" Ellen laughed while pointing up to him. "Grown-ups aren't supposed to cry!" Wiping his tears on his sleeve, the apothecary looked down at them both.

"Heh…Even grown-ups need a good cry from time to time."

*

Primrose leaned over the railing carefully, pressing her exposed midriff against the wall so she wouldn't tip over. Her lush hair flowed in the wind as the sea breeze passed through the brown strands, just like it did when she had let it loose in the ocean water. The bright sun reflected off her green eyes just perfectly so that they looked like polished emeralds, and those very same gems were now looking down at the two girls and the apothecary.

The dancer had made her towards the beach looking for Alfyn, as H'aanit had cooked up some of her signature jam rolls for lunch, which she knew were his favorite. After searching for him for a short while Primrose had spotted him taking a stroll on the shore, but Ellen and Flynn had got to him first before she had been able to call out to him.

Not that she minded. Primrose absolutely adored watching Alfyn with the kids, mainly because of how much they loved being around him. She was sure that Ellen would never say it to his face out of embarrassment, but she knew that the little one had been going around town recently telling everyone how she was going to become an apothecary.

How adorable. Primrose couldn't wait to see the look in his face when she told him.

"He is such a joy for the children, isn't he?"

Primrose blinked and turned her head to her left only to find the young girl's mother standing against the railing next to her. "Oh, Mrs. Marlene. Good day."

"Good day to you as well, Primrose. How long have they been down there?" The older woman smiled softly, shifting her gaze towards her daughters and Alfyn.

"I'm not quite sure, I was looking for Alfyn and found him here just a few minutes ago." Primrose explained. "Although given how unkempt your girl's clothing is, I'd say they have both been here for some time now."

"Yes, it appears so. I'll have to wash it out later." Marlene sighed, shaking her head. "Goodness, they're always like this. Even before you all arrived they'd spend hours on the shore trying to find seashells and give them to me so I could sell them at the market."

"Aw, isn't that just the cutest? They're worried about their mother." Primrose giggled, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"I appreciate their support, truly. But I just want them to go out and play without worrying about such things. Children their age shouldn't have to worry about finances." Marlene lamented.

"Well, I cannot say I disagree. However, it appears to me that both Ellen and Flynn are happy as things are." Primrose hummed, meeting the older woman's gaze. "Sometimes it's the more modest lives where you find those that are truly happy."

Marlene chuckled, nodding her head in agreement. "Absolutely. He's a good example of that." The woman said, looking downwards at the trio once more.

"Indeed. He's somehow able to find joy in everything he does, regardless of the situation." Primrose said, forming her lips into a half-smile. "Well, except when he's hungry. That's the sole exception.

"I believe that's a quality that applies to even the merriest of men." Marlene agreed, laughing when Primrose scoffed in frustration. "Is that why you stick so closely to him then?"

Primrose nodded before resting her chin on one of her palms. "There are very few people like him in this world. When you find them, it's best to not let them go."

"And I'm sure his apothecarial abilities also play a large part in that, correct?"

"Perhaps."

Primrose thought back to a time when she didn't have the benefits of Alfyn's massages. She'd never be able to go back to those days. The dancer shuddered as she remembered all those terribly sore and aching nights at Sunshade where her shoulders and legs felt like pudding. After her shift was over, she would limp from the tavern over to the dormitories and instantly collapse on her bed, only to get up immediately to brush away the grains of sand underneath her covers.

Honestly, how did she last as long as she did in that dreadful place?

"Say, how much longer do you anticipate you'll be here?" Marlene asked, turning her head slowly to look at Primrose.

The dancer shrugged, waving her hand unknowingly. "I'm not sure, ultimately it's up to Alfyn for when we depart. But if you were to ask me I'd say sooner rather than later, since the townspeople all seem to be recovering rather well."

"I see. It's regrettable that you all must leave. You've done a lot for Goldshore, and a lot for my family as well." Marlene said sadly, before shaking her head. "Even so, we understand. Just know that you're all welcome back anytime."

"Thank you, truly. Goldshore has been good to us. When all of our quests are over, perhaps I'll pay it another visit." Primrose mused, smiling genuinely at Marlene. "I'll make sure to bring Alfyn with me as well."

"That'd be wonderful, we'd welcome you two with open arms." The older woman replied happily. "That reminds me, I've been meaning to ask something."

"Oh?" Primrose replied, raising an eyebrow in interest.

"Are you and Alfyn together?"

Primrose blinked. "Pardon?"

"Ah! Forgive me, I shouldn't have asked so suddenly. It seems I lost myself in the conversation." Marlene gasped, waving her hands in front of her embarrassingly. Her reaction made Primrose wiggle awkwardly, an emotion that the dancer didn't experience often.

"No, it's quite alright. It was just…unexpected." Primrose admitted, twirling her hair around her finger. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest we all thought that was the case. I merely wanted to confirm." Marlene chuckled, tapping her flushed cheeks. "Based on your reaction, it seems we were mistaken."

This time it was Primrose's turn to flush, as the dancer felt her face grow hot listening to Marlene's declaration. The last time she had felt this sheepish was back during their second time in Cobbleston when Alfyn and Cyrus had accidentally walked into her changing. Actually, her cheeks probably felt hotter now than they did back then.

"Alfyn and I are… very close. But we aren't together." Primrose explained, finally meeting Marlene's eyes after taking a few moments to calm down.

Much to the dancer's surprise, the woman narrowed her eyes slightly. "But you've thought about it, haven't you?"

"I…"

Of course Primrose had thought about it, it wasn't like she was an innocent maiden who had no experience with romance her entire life. She wasn't unfamiliar with such thoughts. Quite the opposite in fact. Much to her dismay, the dancer had plenty of experience in courting men. Primrose had never genuinely loved someone she had met in Sunshade or even come close to, but that had been her reality.

A reality that had been forced onto her before she even knew what a bottle of wine looked like.

"It's crossed my mind a few times." Primrose revealed, wrapping her arms around her waist. She noticed that Marlene was no longer looking at her anymore, and had shifted her gaze back towards Alfyn and her daughters. The woman's lips had formed into a small smile, and her eyes were lost in thought.

"Tell me about him." Marlene whispered gently, noticing that her girls had just pulled out something to give to the apothecary.

Primrose sighed pleasantly, looking up towards the sky. "It's nothing you wouldn't already know."

"Sometimes it helps to hear yourself say it out loud." Marlene said amusingly, keeping her eyes steady. "And for someone to listen."

"I never thought I would be lectured on the topic of romance." Primrose chuckled, shaking her head lightly. "Usually I'm on the other side, especially when it comes to the other three."

"Ah yes, two young innocent flowers and a huntress with a snow leopard. I'm sure you're somewhat of a big sister for them when it comes to matters of the heart." The senior woman laughed amusingly.

"Ugh, don't get me started. You wouldn't believe the things they say." Primrose groaned, running her temple with her fingers as she remembered the last time Cyrus had commented on Ophilia's beauty.

Marlene giggled softly in response, and after exchanging a knowing look the two women fell into a comfortable silence watching Alfyn and the two girls. Based on what Marlene had mentioned earlier, Primrose speculated that Ellen and Flynn had likely given him some seashells that they had found this morning. If she was right, it wouldn't be long now until the apothecary started to cry. Sure enough, the dancer noticed his shoulders start to shake tenderly just a few moments after receiving his gift.

He had always been a softy.

"I mentioned before that I thought Alfyn was special, but honestly, I don't think that's necessarily true." Primrose whispered, breaking the silence. "I think the reason he seems so remarkable to me is that he represents everything I thought I had lost in my life for good."

Marlene merely stared at her with attentive eyes, clearly telling Primrose to continue.

"Hope, Kindness, Honesty, Patience…I never thought I would find someone who would care for me like that again." The dancer continued, letting all of her internal thoughts flow out from behind her lips. "And I didn't, he was the one who found me instead."

"What makes it even more ridiculous is that he treats everyone that same way. Regardless of who they are." The dancer said incredulously. "In my eyes that makes him far more special. If he acted that way only to me then I could simply dismiss him as someone who was just trying to get me into bed. That's always how it's been."

"Yet that's not the case with him." Marlene interjected, keeping her voice hushed and low.

Primrose nodded. "It never has, and I'm sure the other girls feel the same way. Even so, that's not even the main reason. I wouldn't feel this way if that was the case."

"Then what is?" Marlene asked, pushing Primrose further.

"…It's the way he touches me."

Marlene did a masterful job at hiding her surprise, nodding slowly towards her to tell her she could continue. Still, the dancer noticed the woman's eyebrows raise slightly out of the corner of her eyes.

"As a dancer, you get used to men's greedy touches, even those that go beyond what one would consider acceptable in public. That sounds terrible, but it's true." Primrose sighed. "You don't hate it any less either. Every time a customer would reach for my breasts or flip my skirt I cursed them to death inside my head. But I got used to it."

"That being said, those memories stay rooted deep within your soul. It got to the point that I remember thinking that once I got out of that hellhole I would never let a man touch me again." The dancer frowned. "I honestly believed that if by some miracle I'd ever find love again, it would be with a woman."

"I'm sorry, it was never my intention to make you remember those memories." Marlene apologized, looking downwards solemnly.

"No, it's alright. I mentioned them because I wanted to." Primrose shook her head. "What I'm trying to say is…when Alfyn touches me it's different."

"So you feel comfortable with his touch, or are you simply not afraid of it?" Marlene asked curiously.

"Both, but it goes beyond that. Every time I feel Alfyn's touch…it heals me."

Marlene didn't even bother hiding her shock this time. "He heals you?"

The dancer laughed lightly, realizing how what she said could be misinterpreted. "Ah, I don't mean that literally because he's an apothecary."

"Then how so?"

"Alfyn's touch is so gentle and warm, unlike anything I've ever felt from a man's touch. The only comparison I could make is to my late best friend." The dancer explained. "Whenever he gives me a foot massage or caresses my shoulder, I feel his warmth slowly erasing all the fear and disgust hidden away in my heart. In other words, he's healing those emotional scars from way back then."

"I see…" Marlene spoke in a hush, a small smile forming on her face.

"Any apothecary can take care of physical wounds, but Alfyn's the only one who can heal me. I need him."

Primrose stared back down at the man in question, who was now saying his farewells to Ellen and Flynn. After one final wave, Alfyn rushed up the steps that led to where the two women were at right now. Once he reached the top, he noticed the two of them and called out the dancer's name with a wave. He walked towards them with red eyes and a bright smile, clearly ready to go out looking for a nice hot meal. Primrose met his eyes and smiled back, returning his greeting with a small wave of her own.

Before he could reach them, Marlene gave her a peaceful smile. No words were spoken, but Primrose understood exactly what she wanted to say. Primrose had practically said it out loud herself.

She needed Alfyn, and now she was starting to realize she wanted him as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hey Hey Hey! I hope you all are having a great day! This chapter is what I would call the start of Act II, and so I decided to really make it special. It's by far the longest chapter to date, and would have been longer if not for the sheer amount of scene changes present already. I hope you enjoy this long update, and thank you for those who are returning.
> 
> To talk a bit more about the chapter content, this was the one I had the most fun with out of all the ones out so far. It was also written at what I would consider the healthiest pace, as I wrote it out steadily and with a good balance. I wanted it to be quality because it was the second major character chapter from the game in this fic. For a chapter stocked full of character depth, I knew I had to make sure I did Alfyn justice and take advantage of the opportunity to develop the romance between our main pairing even further. I hope it turned out well.
> 
> Chapters are still going to be released irregularly, but I find that I'm getting one out biweekly or around that timetable. Not making any promises, but I suppose you can start to expect updates around said time. Thanks so much for reading! Till next time.


	6. Holidays

The Winter Solstice, or better known as Flamesalam in Orsterra, was widely considered the continent's most important holiday.

It took place every year on the 21st day of the last month, and was celebrated far and wide throughout the various lands. The holiday marked the day the Flamebringer Aelfric descended upon the world with the other gods to do battle with the fallen deity Galdera. It is said that when humanity first laid eyes upon the Flamebringer, they received the ultimate gift of gratitude and grace. As a result, the anniversary of the event was henceforth reserved to celebrate the concept of showing appreciation for one another. Over the years this manifested itself through sharing gifts with friends and family on the night of the celebration.

And this was Primrose's first time celebrating the holiday in over a decade.

She had celebrated Flamesalam before, back when she was still a child at the Azelhart manor. Primrose remembered it fondly, as it had been one of the few days of the year that her father was able to be together with her without worrying about maintaining appearances in front of the servants. The loving family would share an absolutely delectable meal full of her favorites, before moving to the fireplace where they would open gifts. The holiday would end with the two of them reading together while drinking a cup of hot chocolate, until Primrose would eventually fall asleep tenderly on her father's lap. For a noble family, it was nothing overly extravagant, but that had been the way they liked it.

But after her father passed and she was left wandering the continent on her own, she stopped celebrating the holiday. Flamesalam was a day meant to be spent with other people, and without anyone left by her side that she cared about there was no reason to celebrate. The most the dancer would do was buy herself some new sandals and a slightly more expensive meal, that was it. Even when she had been living in Sunshade with Yusufa the two never saw fit to commemorate the occasion, as Helgenish would always have the dancers draw lots to see who would be joining him privately for the night. Any semblance of cheer or spirit was completely destroyed by the angst she would feel throughout the day.

This time, however, it was different. She was no longer alone or in a situation that forced her to keep her joy caged in. Over the past six months she had made seven friends she considered to be the greatest of her life, and this day was the perfect opportunity to show just how grateful she was for each and every one of them.

The party had decided to spend the holiday in Flamesgrace, and had arrived a few days ago while on their trek to Stillsnow. This allowed Ophilia to spend some time with Lianna and their ailing father, something they knew was vitally important for her considering how important the holiday was for a religious family. Much to everyone's surprise, the cleric had told them she would still be celebrating the night with the group. Primrose figured it was likely because the young woman wanted to give her sister the alone time she needed with her father. After all, it was possible this would be Archbishop Josef's last Flamesalam.

It was a selfless decision made by a selfless woman. Still, Primrose knew that it hadn't been an easy choice for Ophilia to make.

It worked out well in the end, however. Due to the mediocre state of their finances, it had been decided that they would not exchange gifts with everyone and instead give a present to a random person in the group. The catch was that it would be done anonymously. They had all drawn lots days before, and Ophilia's return meant that no one would be left without a gift. The cleric had gone through quite a lot of trouble for hers as well, and so everyone was secretly hoping that Ophilia had drawn their name.

The celebration would begin at the inn's largest room in a couple of hours, which Lianna had generously reserved for them. The night would start with a traditional Flamesalam meal, followed by the gift exchange, and conclude with what Primrose presumed to be multiple bottles of wine for the adults and eggnog for the underage. Right now, the girls were in their room changing into their outfits for the event, excited at the opportunity to dress up for once.

"Prim! Prim!"

"Hmm?" Primrose hummed, turning around to find Tressa looking up at her eagerly.

"Who'd you get for the gift exchange!?" The young girl whispered. "H'aanit and Ophilia won't tell me theirs."

"Rightfully so." The dancer said, crossing her arms. She stifled a giggle when she noticed H'aanit shake her head and Ophilia shrink into her seat in the corner of her eye. Primrose presumed that the merchant had already interrogated them extensively, and now it was her turn.

"Aw, c'mon! I won't tell anyone." Tressa whined, letting her shoulders sulk down disappointingly. "Puhleeeeeeeze?"

"Alright, I'll confess. It's you." Primrose smiled, reaching inside her bag and pulling out a single rusty earring that had been in there for who knows how long. "I got you this, do you like it?"

Tressa huffed and crossed her arms as well. "Ha. Ha."

"Patience, Tressa. Thou willst enjoyen the holiday very much." H'aanit shouted from across the room while unraveling her braid.

"Oh, your hair looks utterly divine H'aanit." Primrose gasped before running a hand through her high ponytail. "Perhaps I'll let mine down tonight as well. It's been so long."

"Thou ist too kind."

"I don't believe I've ever seen your hair down before, Primrose. Did you ever wear it like that in the past?" Ophilia asked, turning her gaze towards the dancer.

"I did for a few years at Sunshade until I realized it's a damn pain to dance with loose hair." Primrose replied, moving her hands upwards so she could remove her hairband. "But since H'aanit is gracing us with hers, I can't let her show off all on her own, now can I?"

"Primrose, your language."

"I've said far worse Ophilia, and will likely say far worse later tonight after a few bottles of wine."

Before the cleric could respond the dancer let her hair fall loose, moving it around with her hands until she felt comfortable. She took a few moments to make sure it was well-groomed before admiring herself over in the mirror. It had been far too long since she had the chance to doll herself up like this. She was going to enjoy it.

She was so busy looking over her hair that she almost didn't notice that the room had gone completely silent. Primrose turned around only to come face to face with wide-eyed stares and a dropped jaw from a certain merchant.

"W-what?" Primrose stammered, feeling sheepish under watchful eyes.

"You…you really should wear your hair like that more often." Ophilia breathed, a light blush beginning to form on her cheeks.

"Agreed." H'aanit nodded.

"Gosh Primrose, you're so pretty! I wish I looked like you." Tressa confessed, eyes shining with admiration. "What's your secret?!"

"As I said before, wine."

"Oh, if only the inside was as pretty as the outside…" Tressa bemoaned, looking downwards and shaking her head sarcastically. Ophilia and H'aanit joined in as well, much to the dancer's amusement.

"Excuse me!? That's rude." Primrose complained, pouting in her seat with a playful glare. "I thought today was supposed to be an amiable holiday, but it appears you all think otherwise."

The group of four girls laughed heartily and bantered for a few more moments before focusing back on their outfits. Tressa was the first to finish, and after getting bored waiting for the other women she began helping Primrose with her dress. It was a tight-fitted red dress that showed off her figure perfectly, and had been chosen for the sole purpose of tempting the eyes of a certain someone. As the starting time for the celebration drew closer, Tressa once again brought up the topic.

"Prim, at least tell me if you got me. You don't understand, I HAVE to know." Tressa nagged, clinging onto the dancer like a spoiled puppy. "If you tell me, I'll make sure you get the last bottle of wine tonight."

Primrose sighed, closing her eyes while waving Tressa away with her hand. "Fine. It's not you."

"Then who is it!? Is it Alfyn? You've been really excited since we drew the lots. Oh, wait! Maybe it's Cyrus cause then you could mess with him. Or... maybe it is me and you're just trying to get me off your tail!"

"Not telling~" Primrose sang, making sure the young merchant had a full view of her smirk.

Tressa groaned. Even if she had guessed correctly, she knew the dancer's acting was far too adept to get a hint out of her. She'd have to give up this time or try her luck again with the other two, who were much more likely to slip up and say something. After Primrose declared she could do the rest herself, Tressa walked away from her and made her way towards a very distressed Ophilia. Once she was comfortably out of sight, Primrose let her lips curve into a small smile.

"You got it right the first time, Tressa."

*

"Thank you, Ophilia. I'll cherish it forever."

The cleric laughed lightly in response before reaching over to the dancer with open arms. The two women shared a heartwarming embrace, and Primrose silently thanked the gods for the fact that she had been lucky enough to receive a gift from her best friend. Ophilia had practically become a sister to her, and Primrose was eternally grateful that she'd been able to find her after losing Yusufa.

If she ever got married, then there was no doubt in her mind who would be her maid of honor.

Ophilia's present had been the most coveted of the eight, and when Primrose found out that she would be the one receiving it she was excited to find out what it was. It didn't take long for her to recognize it was a painting as she unwrapped the gift, but it wasn't until she saw what the painting was that her eyes began to water. It was a portrait of the two of them, detailed so beautifully that it looked almost as if it was real. Ophilia explained to her that as soon as they had arrived at Flamesgrace, she had commissioned the painting from the local painter. The cleric had even tricked Primrose in coming to the market with her one day so that the painter could get a good idea of what the dancer looked like.

It didn't take long for a few tears to break through for the two women, as they both knew how much they meant to one another. Primrose had lost her best friend, and Ophilia could no longer stay beside her sister, at least not until the kindling was finished. But they had each other now, and that was more than enough.

"Well, I suppose I'm next." Primrose announced, making her way across the room so she could grab her present. Alfyn and Cyrus waited in their spots in anticipation, as they were the only two left who had not received a gift. Unfortunately for Cyrus, he'd have to wait a bit longer.

"You probably already know, since Cyrus must be the lot you drew." Primrose smiled, making her way towards Alfyn with his present in hand. "But I had you, Alfyn. Happy holidays."

"Shucks! Now ain't that just a stroke of luck!" Alfyn laughed, accepting the wrapped offering generously.

"Indeed." Primrose nodded, sitting down next to him on the bed. She watched him open it with hopeful eyes, eager to explain to him what it was. Once he was finished unwrapping the gift, he held it out for everyone in the room to see.

"It's some kinda…spear?" Alfyn said confusingly, which brought out a bright laugh from the dancer. She thought he might react this way. After all, it appeared that even the weapons master Olberic didn't know what it was.

"Close. Do you remember when we were at Rippletide and you found my cloak while we were aboard Leon's ship?" Primrose asked with a nostalgic expression, to which Alfyn simply nodded in response. "Well, I still think about that moment from time to time. How you were able to get me something that I didn't even know I wanted. So, I wanted to do the same for you."

"This is called a speargun. It's a special contraption that is made in Grandport using some form of rubber banding that propels the spear forwards underwater. I hear that it has practically revolutionized spearfishing all on its own." Primrose explained, placing one of her hands on the device. "I found this when we were back at Goldshore, and bought it with the intention of giving it to you on your birthday."

Alfyn looked up at her with wide eyes as the rest of the room oohed and aahed in wonder. "You've had this for that long?!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, I apologize for keeping it from you, but I wanted to save it for a special occasion." The dancer nodded. "I'm not quite sure how it functions, but I know that you'll be able to figure it out. Do you like it?"

"Like it? Primrose, this is amazing!" Alfyn shouted happily as he examined his new toy, not realizing that he had called her by her full name. "No one's ever gotten me somethin' like this before!"

"I'd wager that you're one of the few who even owns one, Alfyn. This is the first I've heard of it." Olberic mused, standing up to get a better look. "How much did this cost you, Primrose?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Wait, don't tell me that the reason you were broke back at Goldshore wasn't because of the swimsuit you bought, but because of…" Alfyn whispered as he started to connect the dots.

"Ah, guilty as charged." Primrose winced, avoiding the apothecary's angry look.

"Prim!"

"Alfyn, it's fine! I wanted to get you this, truly. Think of it as a gift of gratitude for all those times you've helped me with my muscle soreness during our travels." Primrose laughed sheepishly.

Alfyn huffed, flabbergasted that the dancer had spent so much on what was supposed to be a simple present. Still, he was extremely grateful. "Alright, but next time I don't want ya to empty your wallet for something like this. A mug of mead is plenty."

"Next time I'll most likely be gifting to someone else. But I'll keep that in mind." Primrose grinned brilliantly before placing a small kiss on his cheek. Alfyn blushed a deep red, but smiled back at the dancer happily.

"Thanks, Prim."

*

Alfyn took in a long, steady breath and held it in for a few seconds before letting it out slowly into the cold Frostlands air.

"Damn, that feels good." Alfyn thought, closing his eyes as he continued to take in the icy wind.

The apothecary had excused himself momentarily from the party after feeling his dinner begin to churn uncomfortably in his stomach. He had probably eaten too much, but that was expected from him. He had spent all day preparing for the meal for that reason. What he hadn't prepared for was the sheer amount of alcohol that he and everyone else would be consuming.

Surprisingly, the ones who let the alcohol get out of hand were actually the older members of their group. Olberic, H'aanit, and Cyrus had two bottles of wine already by the time he had gone outside to the balcony, and by the sounds of it, they were still going strong. Therion had also let the booze get the better of him, but mostly because an overly hyper Tressa had egged him on throughout the night. Alfyn and Primrose had taken part as well, but after seeing the more mature members of their group dead drunk they had decided to take it easy. Ophilia couldn't handle them all on her own, after all.

For now though, it was fine to let them loose. Flamesalam was a day for celebration, and it wasn't often the older members got to unwind like this. That being said, Alfyn was starting to crave some company and was about to head back inside when he heard the balcony door open behind him.

"Goodness, you're still out here? Doesn't the weather bother you at all?" Primrose chuckled, making her way besides Alfyn. He noticed that she had put on her cloak, likely in preparation for how cold it would be outside. In her hands she held two warm cups of eggnog, one for her and one for him.

"Nah, not really. Though it'd probably feel a lot worse without my jacket. Glad I decided to bring it with me when I left." Alfyn greeted, taking the cup from Primrose with a tender smile. "Thanks!"

"Oh yes. I don't know what I would do without my cloak." Primrose agreed, leaning against the railing while taking a sip of her eggnog. "So it's a good thing you found it."

"Yup! That reminds me, I wanted to say you look really good tonight." Alfyn confessed, taking a sip of his drink as well. "Especially your hair."

"Thank you, Alfyn. That's very sweet of you. You look rather charming yourself." Primrose giggled, twirling a strand of hair through her finger. "The girls said the same thing about my hair. I can only wonder why you all find it so appealing."

"Ha, that's easy! I know why."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I know that technically H'aanit's the oldest, but ya know how they look up to you like a big sister sometimes? Especially the younger two?" Alfyn asked, to which Primrose nodded. "Well, with your hair like this I think it kinda fits that picture a bit more. Least that's how I see it."

Primrose nodded before narrowing her eyes mischievously. "I see. So does that mean you like an older type of woman?"

"That depends." Alfyn shrugged, going along with the dancer's joke. "If it's someone like you, definitely. If it's someone like Eliza, not so much."

"Well now, that's a particular taste." Primrose laughed, turning so she could meet Alfyn's eyes.

"You're in an awfully good mood today, huh?" Alfyn pointed out. "Wake up on the right side of the mattress?"

"Hmm, that's part of it. Though I'd say it's mostly the holiday cheer." The dancer hummed, tapping on the balcony railing with her finger. "I'd imagine the wine has had it's influence as well."

"You can say that again, another glass and I was about to end up like those three." Alfyn chuckled, pointing a finger towards the room. "Came out here to sober up a bit so I can help Phili keep a lid on things later."

"Aw, that's no fun. Then I suppose now might not be a good time to tell you that I poured a bit of liquor into your eggnog." Primrose purred, looking over at him with half-lidded eyes.

"That's fine, I switched our cups after realizing that when I took my first sip." Alfyn revealed amusingly, much to the dancer's surprise.

"So that's why it tasted so strangely." Primrose frowned, looking down at her drink disappointingly. "Swap with me then. If I'm tipsy to the point that I'm being duped by you, then clearly I need to sober up as well."

"Here, I'll go grab a fresh one for ya." Alfyn offered, taking the cup carefully from her hands. "You need anything else?"

"A blanket would be nice, thank you."

Alfyn nodded and made his way back into the room, closing the door slowly so that some hot air could brush up against the dancer's backside. It was these little acts of kindness that made Alfyn so wonderful. He paid so much attention to even the smallest things if it meant making someone happy or more comfortable. Especially when it came to Primrose. Alfyn knew all of her preferences and inclinations, even the ones she kept hidden away from the others. He was like her personal butler, ready and waiting at all times whenever she needed something.

Wow, that wasn't too far off, was it? Perhaps she needed to stop relying on him so much, otherwise she could get lazy. She was Primrose Azelhart, slayer of crows and seducer of men. She knew how to take care of herself, seeing as she had done so for over half of her life.

"But Alfyn's just so much better at it. Maybe if I start paying him…" Primrose thought playfully until she heard the balcony door open once again. The man in question popped out, carrying a fresh mug of eggnog in one hand and a warm blanket in the other. He walked up to her with a carefree grin, handing her the drink as if he had made it himself.

"Quite literally just what the doctor ordered." Primrose said with a friendly smile as Alfyn placed the blanket gently over her shoulders. "Ah, much better."

"Sobered up a bit?" The apothecary asked, taking his place beside her on the balcony.

"A little. I can act like my normal self at least." The dancer nodded. "How are the others?"

"Well, Therion's so drunk now that Tressa's finally starting to worry about him. I guess that's a good thing? I dunno." Alfyn laughed, shaking his head. "When I left Olberic and H'annit had just started to arm wrestle, but it seemed like Phili had everything under control. Mostly because Cyrus passed out on one of the beds. One less dope to worry about."

"Sounds like a good time. Maybe I should join in."

"Shucks. And I thought I was the drunkard of the group."

"You are, but on special occasions like these it's the drunkard's job to take care of the ones that usually take care of him, is it not?" Primrose winked, looking at him with a charming expression.

"Yeah, that's true! Maybe it was a good thing tonight's dinner didn't sit well with me, cause otherwise I'd be in there cheering 'em on." The apothecary admitted, taking a long sip of his drink.

"Do you think you could win against them?" Primrose inquired.

"Against his Lordship or H'aanit? No chance in hell." Alfyn scoffed, waving his hand back and forth in a gesture of humility. "But I bet I could beat anyone else in our group. Not like there's much competition besides us three."

"I'll tell Therion you said that." The dancer threatened playfully, meeting Alfyn's eyes with a teasing smile.

"Go ahead! I beat him once already. The rest of the guys all saw it too, so he can't deny it either." Alfyn divulged, holding in laughter as he remembered the night in Cobbleston when Therion drunkenly challenged him to the contest of strength. The apothecary had been very drunk, but not wasted enough to let the thief get away with a victory.

"Oh gods, you'll have to tell me the full story later. I can't wait to tease him about it." Primrose giggled, placing a hand over her lips as she laughed.

"Shucks, whatever gets ya off my back."

After a few more remarks the two young travelers fell into a comfortable silence as they looked over the balcony view. Even for the winter solstice the night sky had come up very quickly, and so most people had already made their way inside their homes to celebrate with their families. That didn't mean the night view was any less beautiful, however. Flamesgrace was illuminated very well with various lanterns and lamp posts throughout the city, shining light into even the darkest crevices. The cathedral's brilliance was enough to steal a person's breath away all on its own, and the balcony gave them a perfect view of the glorious building in all of its glory.

The sound of a relaxed sigh brought Primrose back to her senses, which prompted her to look over at Alfyn to see how he was doing. The apothecary was staring out at the cathedral with a glazed look over his face, clearly lost in thought.

Primrose blinked. Now this was quite rare. Alfyn wasn't the type to lose himself in his thoughts very often. It really only happened when he had just woken up in the morning or right before dinner when he didn't have the energy to even work his brain. But here he was now, clearly deep in thought over something. It was only natural for the dancer to feel curious.

"A leaf for your thoughts." Primrose whispered, breaking the silence with a small smile.

"Huh?! Oh, sorry. Kinda spaced out there for a bit." Alfyn said as he was brought back to reality. He took a sip of his drink, making a disgruntled face once he found that it had gone cold.

"I noticed. So, what's on your mind?" The dancer nodded, holding back a laugh at the way the apothecary scrunched up his nose.

"Ah…nothin' too crazy. It's actually something that's got to do with you." The young man revealed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh?"

"See, I've got something for you too. Just wasn't sure whether I should give it to ya or not. Especially since you got me that really cool gift." Alfyn revealed, reaching into one of his jacket pockets. "I've had it for a long while now."

"Alfyn, you can't just tell me that and then not give it to me." Primrose snickered, shaking her head. "What is it?"

"Haha! Yeah, I guess that's true." Alfyn laughed, extending his hand out to her and placing something into the palm of her hand. "Happy holidays, Prim."

Primrose opened her hand, revealing what Alfyn had placed in it. It was a bracelet, and quite a captivating one as well. It was navy blue with a hint of gold, much like the jewelry the dancer often wore. Unfortunately, just by looking at it, Primrose could tell that the bracelet was just a tad too small to fit onto her wrist comfortably. The ornament was certainly lovely, but the size and the fact it didn't exactly match with her general color scheme meant she probably wouldn't wear it often. Even so, she decided she would keep it with her rather than selling it. Primrose was sure that Alfyn wasn't well-versed when it came to jewelry, so the fact that he had made an effort was enough on its own.

Perhaps she would give it to Ophilia. It would fit her rather nicely.

"My, this is quite a lovely piece. Wherever did you find this, Alfyn?" Primrose asked, looking up at the apothecary with shining eyes.

"About that…" Alfyn chuckled. "Looks like we think the same way, cause I've had this since Sunshade."

The dancer's jaw dropped. "Since Sunshade?! You can't be serious."

"Dead serious. We're just two peas in a pod, aren't we?" Alfyn nodded, laughing lightly at the dancer's reaction. "To tell ya the truth. I almost forgot 'bout it till I found it in my satchel while rummaging through it the other day."

"Why am I not surprised?" Primrose scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Why did you buy this then? We had barely known each other."

"Well, I saw you eyeing this at the market after we first met, so I took a look and saw it wasn't too pricey. After everything that happened with Yusufa and that ugly bastard, I bought it for ya while buyin' supplies thinking it might cheer you up a bit." Alfyn explained with a sincere smile. "But when I was fixin' you up at the inn you seemed pretty alright, so I guess it slipped right through my mind."

"But I don't recall-"

Then it clicked.

Desperately, Primrose took another look at the accessory in her hand. Navy blue outlined in gold; nothing had changed. But the longer she stared at it, the more familiar it was starting to become. Old memories began to resurface, and the emotions that she felt from back then swelled up inside her once more. Wishful emotions, feelings that reminded her of teasing smiles and bright eyes unlike any other.

She recognized this bracelet.

"It can't be…t-this is impossible, I…" The dancer whimpered. Her chest felt pained and heavy, and her voice began to tremble as her throat tightened. It wouldn't be long until she broke down completely.

"H-huh? Woah!" Alfyn stuttered, catching Primrose on her shoulders before her knees gave in. "What's wrong?! Did something happen?"

"No, it just…" Primrose managed to choke out, but not before tears began to stream down her cheeks. "That bracelet, A-alfyn…"

"Hey. Hey! It's alright, I got you." Alfyn whispered, bringing the dancer in close and carefully wrapping his arms around her. Almost immediately he felt her hands fist onto his jacket as she buried her face into his chest. "Everythin's gonna be alright, just let it all out. I'm here for you, you're not alone."

Primrose tried to say something else, but found that any attempt to say something coherent only came out as choked sobs or meek whimpers. So instead of trying to pull herself back together, she decided to take the apothecary's advice. She surrendered herself to her emotions, and let everything that she had been keeping in for all this time out at once.

At first, Primrose bawled uncontrollably into the apothecary's warm jacket, letting out ugly sob after ugly sob for what seemed like an eternity. It had been so long since she last had a good cry that she had forgotten just how comforting and relieving it felt. The dancer had constantly told herself that she couldn't allow anyone to see her be weak ever again. Because if she did, she would no longer be able to lie to herself that she wasn't that young and naive girl anymore. Yet, Primrose knew that she couldn't run away from the truth any longer.

Yusufa was dead.

How ironic was it that on a day that was meant for giving to others, she had finally accepted the fact that the person that had been most precious to her had been taken away. It had happened several months ago, but Primrose had refused to face or even think about Yusufa's death in fear that it would scare her away from her quest. She had told herself that that was the best thing to do, to ignore it completely. She was wrong.

These weren't tears of sorrow or pain, they were tears of acceptance. It wasn't as if Primrose could not mourn for Yusufa, but rather that she had already done so long ago. She had just kept it in. Her grieving had shown itself through sleepless nights, distancing herself from others, and denial. The dancer didn't need to grieve, she needed closure. She just never realized it. That's why this bracelet had brought out these tears, because she finally got what she needed.

Alfyn had once gotten her something that she never knew she wanted. Now, he had gotten her something that she never knew she needed.

He really was the only one who could heal her.

Eventually, her sobs turned into soft whimpers, and her cascading tears turned into stains on the side of her cheeks. Even after Primrose finally managed to recompose herself, she stayed within Alfyn's embrace just a little longer. Partially because he was warm, and the temperature had dropped quite a bit since they first went outside, but also because Primrose felt she deserved it. She was a greedy woman, after all.

"Alfyn." Primrose let out softly, wiggling slightly so the apothecary would know it was okay to pull away.

He did just that, releasing her and stepping back so he could stare into her eyes. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you. I apologize if that caught you off-guard. Even I didn't know my emotions would come out so suddenly." Primrose nodded.

"Shucks, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised. Was seriously worried for a second there." Alfyn chuckled.

"Oh, so does that mean that you're not worried for me right now?"

"No, no, no! I'm still worried, it's just that…" The apothecary sighed, narrowing his eyes at her slightly. "Well, if you're back to actin' like this then I guess you're right as rain."

Primrose giggled, moving a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "A few cups of wine and it'll be as if this never occurred."

"Yeah, now that we're on that subject, just what happened exactly?" Alfyn asked. "Not to push you to say anything, but I gotta say at first I thought ya hated it so much I made you cry."

"Ah, that's right. I guess I should explain myself, shouldn't I?"

"It'd help me get to sleep tonight a lot faster, that's for sure."

"Yes, of course." Primrose smiled gently, bringing Yusufa's bracelet back out so that he could see it. "You see Alfyn, this bracelet means a great deal to me. I had originally planned on getting this for Yusufa before…she passed away."

The apothecary's widened slightly. "Oh."

"Unfortunately, I never did save up enough to be able to buy it, so I thought I'd seen the last of it when you and I left Sunshade all those months ago." Primrose continued. "So when you pulled it out, well, I guess I felt sort of relieved. Relieved to have some type of closure, at least."

"And something to remember her by." Alfyn said, staring deep into her eyes.

"Indeed. She's gone, and I know that. But having this makes it a bit easier." The dancer sighed gently, holding the ornament close to her chest. "And I have you to thank for that."

"I-it's no big deal, really! I didn't even know it was that important." Alfyn replied, shaking his hands out in front of him awkwardly. "I'm just happy to help."

"Hey, Alfyn?"

"Y-yeah?"

"I know I don't say this often, or at all in fact." Primrose smiled genuinely, taking one of his hands in hers. "But I'm really glad I met you. All of you."

"Shucks, Prim. I'm really glad I met you too. More…more than you know." Alfyn smiled back widely, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Happy holidays, Alfyn."

"Yeah. Happy holidays, Prim."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hello everyone! I hope this quick chapter was a nice surprise for some of you. I wrote it rather quickly, since I knew that I had to release it today. For those wondering why, today is my birthday! And I found that it was only fit to upload a holiday inspired chapter on what is a day of celebration for myself and all the other people who share this day of birth. Cheers!
> 
> If you've been reading for a while now and have played close attention to some of the more distinct content that I have created, then you know I've been setting up this chapter from a long time. From the beginning, in fact. I wanted to expand on Yusufa's death a bit more than in the game, and when I was writing out the outline for this story I found that it fit perfectly with the Christmas chapter I wanted to write. And this is the result. Extremely fun to write, even if it's not the highest quality update I've released.
> 
> No major updates concerning the release schedule. Just hope to see you again! Have a good one, and thanks for reading.


	7. Moonglow

“I trust no one will mind if I take the stage…”

Primrose made her way across the tavern, making sure to send a couple of mischievous glances towards a few men that eyed her as she approached the stage. Walking up the small set of steps carefully, she let her skirt move ever so slightly to further attract the crowd's attention. The dancer strode to center stage in the same way she always did, hips and shoulders swaying seductively. Not a single pair of eyes escaped her.

Only four men resisted her temptations, seeing as they'd grown quite weary of her alluring nature over the past seven months. Well, she could only blame herself. Her male companions were far too entertaining to tease, so there was no way she was going to refrain from doing so. Especially Alfyn and Cyrus. One was far too innocent, and often fell right into her schemes. The other was hopelessly oblivious, and would be forever blind to the charms of a woman. 

Two sides of the same coin, those two.

“Dazzled eyes may loosen lips.” Primrose thought, staring out into the crowd. After taking a quick breath and a few moments to ready herself, she began to dance.

The group had arrived in Stillsnow just a few hours ago, cold and tired from what had been a fairly rough morning. After taking some time to discuss whether or not to take a day to rest, they had decided to handle the dancer’s business as soon as possible. Her companions knew that Primrose’s quest was a gruesome one. Murder was something that should be taken care of hastily, and forgotten about just as quickly. Considering H’aanit also had her business to handle, it was best to find and get rid of the left-crow as fast as they could. 

That was perfectly fine for Primrose, the sooner the better. 

In need of information, the party had made their way to the tavern after leaving their belongings at the inn. Once they had made their way inside, Primrose noticed that despite being fairly busy, the tavern seemed to be rather quiet. That wasn't good. A quiet ambiance made collecting information a much more difficult task than it usually was. They needed to find a way to liven up the crowd and loosen their tongues, otherwise they’d find themselves under suspicion. So, Primrose had decided to do what she knew best.

It had been some time since the dancer had performed on a stage and in front of an audience like this. The last time she had done so was probably back during their second stay at Rippletide, and even then she hadn’t danced on any sort of platform. Thankfully, she wasn’t out of practice. Far from it, in fact. Considering the combative nature of their travels, Primrose danced practically every day and usually for hours on end. If anything, she danced too much nowadays.

Even so, dancing on a stage with red curtains behind her was something that the dancer missed dearly. Dancing for show was considerably more enjoyable than dancing for combat. Additionally, she needed a clue on the whereabouts of the left-crow. 

And so, she would dance.

Unfortunately for her, her dancing seemed to be having the opposite effect of what she wanted. Instead of stirring the crowd as she had hoped for, the tavern only grew more and more quiet as she performed. Back at Sunshade, the men would get rowdy as soon as Primrose stepped on the stage, whistling and shouting zealously at the chance of sneaking a peek underneath her skirt. But here in Stillsnow, the customers instead responded with admiration and reverence. It was very likely that most of them had never seen a performance of this type before.

“Perhaps it would be best to conclude this quickly…” Primrose murmured, spinning gracefully on the dance floor. 

After a few more steps, the dancer brought her show to a close with a grand finale. She leaped into the air, twirling the fabric of her dancer’s attire around her majestically. Primrose landed perfectly on her feet and struck her signature pose with a brilliant smile. If that didn’t get the reaction that she wanted, then nothing would. Luckily, the crowd exploded into a frenzy, whooping and yelling madly with excitement. 

“Hurrah!”

“Bravo! Now that was a treat for the eyes!”

“I’ve never seen such a beauty! Where did she come from?”

Internally, Primrose breathed a sigh of relief. She had somehow managed to get the crowd going at the very end. Now all she had to do was to start asking around casually for any leads on where her target was hiding. Easier said than done, however. The left-crow was no fool, given how cautiously he had acted from the little she had seen of him at Sunshade. It was likely that he kept a tight lid on all the talk around the town, to ensure that no one would be able to threaten his safety or his position. It was going to take a little more than a dance and a few drinks to get what she needed.

After a wink and a few bows, the dancer rejoined her companions, who were waiting for her at the edge of the stage.

“Good heavens, my dear. That was quite the performance!” Cyrus applauded, clapping his hands together. “You were positively inspiring. I have never seen a more beautiful dance.”

“The flattery, professor. We discussed this. But thank you.”

“Shucks Prim! I’d say there ain’t another dancer like you on the entire continent.” Alfyn laughed happily. “We oughta start chargin’ people for your performances, could catch us a few extra leaves!”

“Hmm, that’s a good idea. I’ll even split the earnings with you if you keep giving me massages afterwards.”

“It was a wonderful performance, Primrose.” Olberic smiled. “You must have practiced a great deal to be as skilled as you are.”

“Indeed. I’m sure you of all people understand how much work goes on behind the curtains.”

“Hey, Twinkle Toes! Your boobs were bouncing around all over the place. Maybe next time wrap them a bit tighter, huh?” Therion grinned wickedly, hoping to get a reaction out of the dancer.

“Such a gentleman. Remind me to put snow into your boots later.”

A look of horror flashed across the thief’s face. He had been around Primrose long enough to know that she often went through with her threats, especially when it came to him. He’d have to be particularly careful later tonight, otherwise he’d end up with frozen footwear.

“Make one itsy-bitsy joke and she’s out to get me. Never thought I’d be locking my door every night when I started traveling with…” Therion muttered under his breath, to which Primrose merely raised an eyebrow. “So, what now? Think we’re good to start asking around?”

“No, not yet. Let the townsfolk have their drinks for a while longer.” Primrose said, shaking her head. “If we start right away, it’s bound to turn a few heads.”

“Well then, don’t mind if I do…” The thief smirked, turning towards the crowd.

“T-therion! No stealing!” Ophilia shouted in protest, grabbing the thief’s shoulder.

“What? I was just gonna get a drink. You wanna come with?” Therion asked.

“I-I am still underage, and sisters of the faith should only drink moderately.” The cleric stammered innocently.

“That didn’t stop Tressa during our holiday celebration.”

“Yup, and it’s not stopping me now. I’m thirsty and bored. A drink’ll help with both of those.” Tressa nodded with a grin, walking towards the bar alongside Therion. “You’re buying, right?”

“Only cause I have to. As soon as you turn 21, you’re buying me a keg of ale.” Therion grumbled.

“Oh, you two! You’re going to turn my hair grey!” Ophilia whined, following closely behind to keep an eye on them.

Primrose watched the bickering trio amusingly. It was nice to see Ophilia so lively again after their brief stay in Flamesgrace. She knew that leaving her family once again had been very difficult for the cleric, especially since her father’s condition had not seemed to improve. However, Ophilia was a strong woman. The dancer knew that she would be back to her normal motherly self in time. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t go with them, Alfyn. Usually you’re the first to grab a drink when we visit a tavern.” Olberic remarked, nodding towards the apothecary.

“Ah, actually…” Alfyn raised his hand, revealing the empty mug that he had been hiding till now. “I already got one.”

H’aanit burst out laughing and swung her arm around Alfyn's shoulders. “Thou ist true to thyself! Comen Alfyn, I shalle buyen thee a mug of thy favorite spirit.”

“Well, can’t let an offer like that go, now can I?!” The apothecary exclaimed.

“Incredible. When did you even have the chance to buy yourself a drink?” Cyrus inquired, resting his chin on his fingers.

“I went and got one while Prim was dancing. Everyone was watchin’ her, so I figured the line would be short.” Alfyn grinned. “I was right.”

“Well, that’s rude. I’ll put snow in your boots later too.” Primrose huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Haha, c’mon! Let me make it up to ya then. Since H’aanit’s buying my drink, how about I buy yours?” Alfyn chuckled. 

“Add in a meal and we’ll call it even.” 

The two shook hands to seal the deal, and made their way towards the bar alongside H’aanit. In the meantime, Olberic and Cyrus sat down at a table around the edge of the stage. It seemed that the older men were a bit too tired to partake in the festivities, and to be fair that was to be expected. Even if they were younger than their age, the knight and the professor were still in their thirties. Considering how active they were during combat, the two men needed their rest.

“By the way H’aanit, where’s Linde?” Alfyn said, realizing that the snow leopard wasn’t at the huntress's side.

“I decided to leaveth her outside. Linde ist a snow leopard, it feelen only proper to let her frolic in her natural lande.” H’aanit explained with a small smile. “Some children hast taken a liken to her as well.”

“Well, hopefully they don’t ruffle her up too much, you and I just gave her a wash a couple of weeks ago.” Alfyn sighed, remembering how exhausting the process had been.

“We can only hopen.” H’aanit nodded in agreement. If anyone knew just how much her life-long companion hated taking a bath, it was her.

“Ugh, I do believe I’m on bath duty next time as well.” Primrose groaned. “Last time Linde practically threw me into the water. Do you remember H’aanit?” 

“Indeed. I do not believen I hath ever seen thou so stunned before.” H’aanit teased, her eyes shining playfully. “Thy top almost came off completely. Mayhaps next time I shalle inviten Alfyn.”

“Alright, if I hear one more comment concerning my chest tonight I will pour ice water on each and everyone one of you once I—”

“Lady Primrose?”

The dancer stopped mid-sentence as soon as she heard her name called. How long had it been since she had last been referred to by her noble title? More importantly, just who could have possibly called her as such? As far as Primrose knew, there hadn’t been anyone from Stillsnow that had worked for House Azelhart. She turned around slowly, nervous to meet the face of the one who had called out to her.

She recognized her almost immediately. Standing in front of her was a woman with dark hair, fair skin, and green eyes much like her own. She was dressed somewhat plainly, wearing a maroon and cream-colored dress that fit her well. Even though she looked like any normal villager, she carried herself with an air of sophistication and refinement that could only be found in those who had been around the presence of nobility.

“It is you…isn’t it? Lady Primrose.” The woman breathed softly, staring deeply into the dancer’s green orbs.

“Can it truly be…Arianna!?”

*

Alfyn stood outside the dormitory, patiently waiting for Primrose to finish her conversation with the woman that she had found at the tavern. Nearby, H’aanit and Tressa were playing in the snow with Linde and the children that the huntress had mentioned earlier. The rest of his companions were standing around him, making small talk to pass the time. It had been around 20 minutes since the dancer had gone inside the dormitory with the dark-haired woman. It wouldn’t be long now until she came back to update them on the situation.

Alfyn thought back to their encounter at the tavern with the woman, and how shocked Primrose had been to see her. What had she called her, Arianna? He didn’t quite remember. Primrose would probably introduce her properly to them later anyway. For now though, the woman looked like she was a nice person, given how happy she was to see the dancer safe and sound. There was also the fact that the woman seemed to have Primrose’s trust, and Alfyn knew that wasn’t something that could be earned easily. 

Plus, she had bought them all a glass of warm milk. Anyone like that was always a good person in his book.

Alfyn turned towards Therion, who was standing right beside him. “Heya Therion, you think they’ll come out soon? I’m startin' to get kinda cold here.”

“Wow, even old Doc here is getting cold! Guess there’s a first for everything.” The thief scoffed, rolling his eyes sarcastically. “Beats me. They’re sure taking their sweet time though. Don’t know why we couldn’t go in with them.”

“Well, that woman did say these are her dormitories. Don’t think it’d be proper if us guys here went inside.” Alfyn replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “And I guess the girls just didn’t want to.”

“Yeah, maybe. Not gonna think about it, cause if I do it'll just make me feel colder.” Therion claimed, before sneezing loudly into his sleeve. “Shit. Shoulda gone and waited at the inn.”

“Don’t be such a baby! Ain’t thieves used to livin’ in crappy places? Thought the weather didn’t matter to folks like you.” The apothecary countered, raising an eyebrow.

“Shut up, not like you’re doing any better. You’re shaking harder than a Jötunn.”

“Am not!”

“Fine then, let me borrow your jacket. If you’re not cold then you shouldn’t need it, right?” Theron challenged, the traces of a smirk beginning to form on his face.

“Not gonna happen. You already got your scarf.” Alfyn refuted, narrowing his eyes at Therion. “And if anyone here is shivering like a Jötunn, it’s you!”

“What!? Oh, I get it now! Only Primrose gets to borrow your jacket, huh?!” The thief accused, his smirk widening as the apothecary became more and more flustered. “You know, some people might say that’s sexist. I’m disappointed in you Alfyn, thought you were better than that.”

“Yeah yeah, keep it comin’ short-stack. If you get frostbite, don’t come to me.” Alfyn snorted.

“I am NOT short! Just how many times do I have to say it, I’m avera—”

Therion was cut off by the sound of the dormitory door swinging open. Primrose stepped out of the cabin confidently, looking down at the bickering young men with a miffed expression. Behind her followed the dark-haired women, who looked far less comfortable than the dancer. She wore a grim expression, one that Alfyn had unfortunately gotten used to seeing after setting off into the world. Nevertheless, the woman carried herself with newfound resolution. Whatever the two had discussed inside the dormitory had likely been a serious topic.

“What were you two arguing about this time?” Primrose sighed, stepping down the small steps that led up to the dormitory door and rejoining the group.

Alfyn pointed at Therion. “Therion is short and cold.”

“And Alfyn’s sexist.” The thief grumbled, pointing back at the apothecary.

The dancer frowned, shaking her head slowly and turning towards Olberic. “Do I even want to know?” She asked the knight hesitantly.

“No, I don’t think you do.” Olberic said, hanging his head low in shame.

“That’s what I thought. Alright, I need everyone to gather around! I know our next course of action.” Primrose shouted, waving over to H’aanit and Tressa to get their attention. “And I need you two to hush, or I really will put snow in your boots. Understood?” She threatened, glaring at the thief and the apothecary.

“Yes Ma’am…” The two murmured in unison.

It took only a few moments to gather everyone around Primrose, who quickly realized just how frigid it was out in the snow. Even if her companions were much better at dealing with the cold than her, she couldn’t imagine any of them had felt particularly cozy waiting for as long as they did. She would have to apologize to them later. Still, it was a good thing that they had not entered the dormitories alongside her. The display hadn’t exactly been very flattering.

“Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Arianna. She was formerly a servant that worked at the Azelhart manor. Arianna, these are my friends that I have been traveling with for just over half a year now.” Primrose smiled genuinely. “It’s thanks to them that I am here right now.”

“Well, then I owe them all a great debt.” Arianna smiled as well. “Greeting everyone, my name is Arianna. As my lady mentioned, I was previously a humble servant for House Azelhart. As such, I must thank you for taking care of her all this time. If you need anything from me now or in the future, I will be ready and waiting.”

“Shucks, you don’t owe us anything! We’re just happy that you and Prim got to see each other again.” Alfyn chuckled. He extended his arm out to Arianna, which she shook happily. “It’s great to meet ya! I’m Alfyn Greengrass.”

“Likewise, Alfyn.” Arianna nodded. Alfyn’s friendliness and warmth caught the woman off-guard. Come to think of it, wasn’t this the one that her lady had been talking to at the tavern?

“Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Olberic Eisenberg.” The knight announced, stepping forward to introduce himself.

Arianna’s eyes widened. “The Unbending Blade of Hornburg?!” 

“Ah, I see my reputation precedes me.” Olberic proclaimed. “Please, call me Olberic, as I am a knight no longer. I raise my blade only for the people you see in front of you now.”

“O-of course!” Arianna stammered, shaking her head embarrassingly. “But may I just say, it is an honor, Sir Olberic.”

“Thank you, truly.” Olberic nodded.

After taking a few moments to compose herself, Arianna turned to the rest of the party. “Might I have all your names as well?”

“I am H’aanit, a huntress from S’warkii. ‘Tis a pleasure.”

“You can call me Therion.”

“I am a sister from the Flamesgrace cathedral, Ophilia Clement. It is so nice to meet you!”

“Ooh, my turn! Tressa Colzione, at your service. Oh, and thanks a ton for the warm milk by the way!”

“Oh dear, I suppose I’m last. My name is Cyrus Albright, a former professor of the Atlasdam Royal Academy. It is lovely to meet you, Arianna.”

As Primrose listened to the rest of her friends introduce themselves to Arianna, she couldn’t help but wonder just how exactly she had ended up with this extraordinary group. All of them were truly incredible people, each in their own special way. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be traveling the continent with a legendary knight, a master thief, and a cleric that was on an ancient pilgrimage then she would have laughed right in their face. Hell, now that she thought about it, the dancer was more than qualified to be a part of this ridiculous group as well. She was the most sought-after dancer in the Sunlands, known far and wide as the “Jewel of Sunshade”. 

Of course, it wasn’t as if the other members of the party were any less amazing. Cyrus was one of the most intelligent individuals on the entire continent, and was a capable enough teacher to be put in charge of Princess Mary and Lady Therese’s education. Tressa was a talented young merchant that was in charge of this wondrous group’s entire finances, and had also caught the eye of the famous Leon Bastralle. H’aanit was one of the last descendants of an ancient clan, and had been deemed a huntress capable enough to slay Redeye by her master.

Finally, there was Alfyn. At first glance, he might appear to be the least accomplished of the group, and to some extent that was true. But Alfyn possessed something that no one else in their merry band of travelers had. 

The ability to save a life.

Ophilia could also heal people, but the most she could do was patch up small wounds and bruises with her divine magic. Alfyn was the only one who could, from start to finish, bring someone back from the brink of death. He had done it many times before. Primrose had seen it happen right in front of her with her very eyes. In her mind, the apothecary was the most remarkable of them all. Anyone who said otherwise, was a fool.

The rest of her dearest companions would likely say the same as well.

The dancer was pulled out of her thoughts when she realized that Arianna had finally finished greeting everyone. They all now looked at her expectantly, clearly waiting for her to address their situation. Now that the pleasantries were done and over with, it was time to get the show on the road.

Quite literally.

“I suppose it is time we get down to business. Arianna knows the location of where the left-crow is hiding, but out of respect for her…situation, I’ll refrain from saying exactly what type of place it is.” Primrose grimaced. 

The dancer still hadn’t been able to get over what Arianna revealed her occupation to be. Her former loving servant had likely been put through some of the most disgusting acts that could be done to a woman imaginable. As someone who had plenty of similar experience, Primrose found it appalling and downright infuriating to think about.

“However, this location isn’t a place so simple that we can simply waltz our way over. In fact, it is so secret that it has never been recorded on a map. At least not recently.” The dancer continued. “As a result, there is only one way we can get there.”

“And that is?” Olberic asked, crossing his arms casually.

“A carriage. It stops in town every night to pick up its passengers, and it takes them to our destination.” Arianna explained, meeting the knight’s eyes. “But there’s a catch.”

“Oh?” Cyrus pondered.

“Nothing to concern yourselves over. Just know that under the circumstances only Arianna and I will be boarding the carriage.” Primrose said quickly, not wanting to push this topic further. “Once we board, you will follow behind stealthily and at a distance. It is absolutely imperative that you all are not seen. I’m sure Therion will be a great help when the time comes.”

“Oh, absolutely. You can count on me.” The thief nodded.

“We can discuss the plan more in-depth later. For now, l believe it’d be best to head for the inn and ready ourselves.” Primrose advised. “I have a feeling that we’ll need to prepare extensively for tonight’s confrontation.”

Not to mention the dancer needed to prepare herself as well. After all, the day she had been waiting for had finally come. She had failed seven months ago in Sunshade, but now there was nowhere left to run. It had been over a decade since the three crows had taken her father away from her. Now it was time for Primrose to return the favor.

Revenge was a dish best served cold, and right now she was in the coldest town on the continent.

Oh, how sweet it would be.

*

“Lady Primrose…are you alright?”

Primrose slowly stirred from her slumber, fluttering her eyes open gently only to see Arianna looking at her with concern. “Arianna…” She whispered.

“You must have been very weary. You fell asleep just shortly after we left town.” Her former servant said with a small smile. “You were calling your father during your sleep, is everything fine?”

“Yes, yes…I am fine. I was just thinking about him, that’s all.” The dancer responded, straightening her posture. “Even in my memories, he will not stop lecturing me on how to live my life.”

Arianna nodded. “Lord Azelhart was a man of unwavering principles.”

“That he was... he taught me the sword, he taught me my letters, and he taught me how to live with dignity and honor.” Primrose chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “He taught me all that I know.”

Primrose noticed Arianna’s eyes glaze over. It seemed that talking about her father had brought back old memories for the older woman as well. After all, Arianna had been one of her father’s most loyal attendants. It was not a surprise to see that his death had ended up affecting her deeply as well.

“He always told me: choose wisely what to believe in, and have faith in your beliefs. For that faith shall be your shield.” Primrose added, lowering her gaze as she came to a realization. “So, what do I…?”

“…My lady?” Arianna breathed out. She spoke so quietly that her voice was lost in the rumble of the carriage.

“End of the line.”

Their conversation was cut off suddenly upon hearing the voice of Oren, the one driving the carriage. Primrose felt the vehicle steadily come to a stop in the snow, and for a moment she didn't want to step outside. Part of it was because she knew it would be absolutely frigid, especially with the way she was dressed. However, the dancer knew that the main reason was that she was nervous. With every minute that passed as they walked towards the brothel, her heart beat a little faster and her legs felt a little heavier.

She was anxious. Tense. Shaky. And everything in between.

And who wouldn’t be? Primrose was about to come face-to-face with one of the men that had murdered her father. She was going to stare right into his eyes, draw her dagger, and plunge it right into his heart without much of a second thought. That was how she had always imagined it in her head. That was how she had once thought it should be.

Yet, things were different now. Primrose would be facing the left-crow alongside her new family, people that had come to love and cherish her just as much as her father had. They had taken the soulless husk that she had once been and turned it back into the person that she thought had disappeared long ago. With their care and support the dancer had learned to trust and love other people once again. Of course, she could never love, forgive, or even come close to showing anything of that sort when it came to her father’s killers. But killing another person didn’t seem as easy as it did before. 

Still, Primrose had made up her mind long ago. She had to go through with this. If she didn’t, then the last ten years would have been all for naught. Living as a slave, being defiled by her master, losing her best friend…everything that she had suffered through would mean nothing. Besides, she wanted this. She needed this.

Didn’t she?

The dancer stopped walking and turned around towards Arianna so that she could face her properly. Surprised, her former servant stopped as well, looking upwards slowly to meet her lady’s gaze. 

“Once, long ago…House Azelhart was locked in a vicious struggle with several of the other high houses. They say that my forebears dirtied their hands with many inglorious deeds in those days.” Primrose revealed. “One time, the head of House Azelhart invited his liege lord to the castle for a great feast, only to murder him and every last man in his party to seize power for himself.”

Arianna gasped softly, shocked upon hearing the origins of the Azelhart noble family.

“This lord had been a cruel man, so perhaps my forebear did the common folk a great service. But it did not win him any friends.” Primrose went on, crossing her arms across her chest. “Still, my family never relinquished the power they had seized. And they never lost faith in their convictions.”

Primrose unsheathed her dagger, and held it out in front of her so Arianna could see it.

“Faith shall be my shield. Unwavering belief in the righteousness of what they had done protected them from any slings or slights.” The dancer declared confidently. 

“…Did it?” Arianna questioned.

“Who knows? The petty squabbles of great houses concern me no longer. But our words still guide me, as they have guided my family for so long.” Primrose replied, shaking her head. “As long as I have something to believe in…this is all I need.”

The two women said nothing after that, and a silence lingered in the air for a few short moments. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but for whatever reason it still felt strange in some way, as if there should have been something else for one of them to say. Before Primrose could ask about it, however, Arianna began talking about the brothel in front of them known as the Obsidian Parlor. Eventually the odd feeling faded away, but Primrose couldn’t help but feel that something was missing.

It wasn’t long before the rest of the group caught up to them, which brought Primrose some relief at the very least. Once Arianna showed her the passageway that would take them to the left-crow, the two shared a loving embrace. They promised that they would see each other again soon, refusing to even acknowledge what would happen if things went south. 

As Primrose and her companions dashed into the cave, she turned back towards her former servant one last time. She looked absolutely gorgeous under the night sky, and for a second, the dancer found her breath taken away. It was almost as if Arianna was a divine spirit, letting the moonglow illuminate her majestically. Perhaps she was, and all of this was a dream. In that moment, Primrose understood what it was that Arianna had wanted to ask her, even if she had never said it out loud.

“Lady Primrose…what is it that you believe in?” 

*

The moment she laid her eyes on him and saw the crow marked on his left arm Primrose felt her blood boil. 

Her target was sitting on a purple leather couch at the very end of the room, eyeing her carefully as the dancer walked towards him. The room was lavish, decorated in gold and royal purple with gems, ribbon, and flowers present in every corner. He was surrounded by three fairly attractive women, each of them blind and numb to the cruel acts he had surely committed in the past. The man didn't say a word, but Primrose knew that he wasn’t stupid enough not to recognize just what type of situation he was in right now. She was sure this was not the first attempt at his life.

The first thing that Primrose noticed about him was that he was quite large, and not in a bad way. The man was incredibly tall and muscular, rivaling even Olberic in stature. That was not good news in the slightest, as it meant that their fight against him would be no simple task. If the left-crow was any bit as strong as he looked, then he was going to be an extremely formidable foe. Not mention the fact that he would likely have reinforcements during their battle, while they would have none. 

Every bit of reason inside Primrose screamed at her to turn away and run as far as she could, because she wasn’t going to come out of this unscathed. That was the smart thing to do. Unfortunately, she couldn’t run even if she wanted to. With her emotions running so wild, any logical thought had been thrown out the window. She had only one thing in mind.

This man needed to die.

So she lurched forward, only to be stopped by someone holding onto her wrist. She whipped around aggressively, facing whoever had the gall of postponing her revenge.

"Woah, hey! Slow down, we have to be careful." Alfyn whispered, tightening his grip. "We don't know what we're up against."

"Let go." The dancer snapped venomously.

"Primrose."

Hearing her full name come out of his mouth snapped Primrose back to reality. Since the two of them had left Sunshade seven months ago, the apothecary had only ever called her by the shortened version of her name. The only exceptions were when he introduced her to other people, or if he had been caught by surprise. Otherwise, she had always been just _Prim_. And to be honest, she had grown fond of the way he called her. It just felt…right.

The fact that Alfyn had consciously called her by full name was significant. It meant that he had something important to say, and the stern tone of his voice made it quite clear that he wanted her to listen.

“I’m listening.” Primrose breathed softly, meeting Alfyn’s gaze with tender eyes.

“You told me once, a while ago, that my hands were meant to heal, and not to destroy. And you were right, they’re not.” Alfyn said, placing her hand into his own. “Have you thought about what yours are meant for?”

“Yes, I have. They’re meant for this very moment.” Primrose responded.

“And that’s fine, cause that’s who you are. Your hands are beautiful, just like the rest of you.” The apothecary smiled gently, slowly letting go of her hand. “Just…make sure that when it’s all said and done, your hands are still just as beautiful as they are now.”

Primrose stared at him for what seemed like an eternity, and Alfyn stared right back. Eventually, Primrose gave him a small smile, and began walking towards the left-crow once more. Alfyn stayed behind alongside the rest of the group, ready for the coming battle. He had only said a few words, and to some people they might have been pointless.

But to her it was all she needed.

“The mark of the crow on your left arm. So we finally meet again.” Primrose announced, coming to a stop a few feet away from the left-crow. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this day?”

“Have we met, milady? If not, then allow me to introduce myself. I am Rufus.” The man grinned slightly, only for his eyes to widen a moment later. “No, wait…you do look familiar. Didn’t I see you dancing on a stage in some desert town? I remember it was quite the show.”

“Think back further. I am Primrose Azelhart.” The dancer declared. 

“Primrose…Azelhart? The young lady of House Azelhart? My, how far from home you’ve come…” Rufus murmured, maintaining his composure. 

Primrose gritted her teeth, her emotions starting to rise quickly. “Do you remember now? Do you remember me? My house? My father?!”

“Geoffrey Azelhart…Yes, I remember him quite well. The man knew how to handle a sword. And he was no fool. Wasn’t easy to bring him down, though bring him down we did.” Rufus nodded, crossing his arms slowly. “For all his virtues, your father made far too many enemies. It’s not good for one’s health, you see.”

“What crime would you lay at his feet? What could he possibly have done to deserve death?” Primrose questioned angrily, curling her hands into tight fists.

“He came to know something which he had no right to know, and it fell to my friends and I to sweep things back under the rug.” Rufus frowned.

“I see, but surely you know well enough…” The dancer purred as she drew her dagger. The curved knife shimmered in the dimly lit room. “Strike against another, and you invite a strike in return.” 

“Is that so?” Rufus chuckled deeply.

“This dagger has never left my side. I have not relinquished it once, just as my memories of my father have never left me.” Primrose claimed, running her fingers along the edge of the blade. “He always told me to be true to my beliefs. To have faith in myself, and never fail to carry out what I knew must be done…”

Having said everything she wanted to say, Primrose pointed her dagger straight at the left-crow. As soon as she did, the rest of her friends rushed to her side, each of them armed and ready for battle. Correspondingly, four armed guards burst through the two side doors and formed a wall between herself and her target. The reinforcements had arrived.

The battle was here.

Primrose locked eyes with him, and began to feel her heart pumping madly against her chest.

“You three, bearing the mark of the crow. I will kill you all!” Primrose shouted, taking her battle stance. “That is the only thing I believe in now. That is my only reason for being! Be prepared to meet your fate, crow!”

“Hmph…” 

With a heavy sigh, Rufus stood up from his seat and cracked his knuckles. The man was so large and powerful that he didn’t need a weapon of any sort. His fists alone were enough.

“You aren’t the first to say such words to me. Like it or not, you won’t be the last.” Rufus growled. “I will bury you, as I’ve buried all the rest.”

He stepped towards her. Primrose merely narrowed her eyes. 

It was time.

“I am Rufus, the left wing of the crow.” Rufus bellowed, raising his left arm in a gesture of strength. “Now come, precious daughter of House Azelhart! I will send you to your father’s side!”

“AHHHH!”

The last thing the dancer heard was her own yell and the sound of clashing steel. Throughout this fight, blood would undoubtedly be spilled. The only question was whose. But she couldn’t worry about that right now. All she could do was fight. Fight for honor, for redemption.

For revenge.

Because that is what she believed in.

*

Alfyn had always been an early riser, but for whatever reason this morning he awoke much earlier than usual. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, and all the snow from yesterday had started to thaw after freezing overnight. He tried to go back to sleep, but the chill in his room kept from getting comfortable in his bed. That was the issue with snowy weather. It was much easier to get to sleep when it was cold, but also much harder to get out of bed. 

What did they call it, a double-edged sword? Something along those lines.

“Might as well get the day started.” The apothecary mumbled into his pillow, only to push himself out of bed with a grunt.

After a quick breakfast in the inn’s lobby, Alfyn decided to head outside for a walk. Things had moved so quickly yesterday that he hadn’t been able to really get a good look of the town. Seeing as they were staying a few more days for H’aanit’s business, Alfyn figured it couldn’t hurt to get familiar with the northern settlement. Maybe he’d even get to meet some of the townsfolk, though that was unlikely considering how early in the day it was.

Much to his surprise, Alfyn eventually did come across one of the townspeople. A familiar face, in fact. He spotted her coming out of the general store, carrying what appeared to be various small rolls of bread. Breakfast, most likely.

Well, better to ask than to guess. Plus, a conversation never hurt anyone.

“Arianna!” Alfyn called out to her, waving his hand as he made his way over.

“Oh, Alfyn. Good morning to you.” Arianna greeted, giving him a small smile. 

After making small talk for a couple of minutes, the two decided to make their way towards the inn. Once inside they took a seat beside the fireplace, warming themselves up after spending several minutes out in the icy weather. The innkeeper brought them two fresh mugs of warm milk, and told them generously that it was free of charge. A token of his appreciation, the innkeeper claimed.

Once they were settled, Arianna explained to Alfyn that the rolls of bread were actually called Sweetdough, and that they were actually for their group. She had woken up early to purchase them so they wouldn’t have to buy themselves a meal at the inn, but unfortunately for her it appeared she had been too late for the apothecary.

That was okay, he was still going to eat his share. Right now, actually.

“Goodness, you have quite an appetite.” Arianna chuckled as she watched Alfyn wolf down his piece of Sweetdough in just a few seconds. 

“Haha, yeah, I hear that a lot.” The apothecary laughed, taking another bite of the sweet pastry. “Can’t help it though, I’ve always been like this. Didn’t even know I was a bit of a glutton till I left my hometown and saw how much people normally eat.”

“Well, a man of your stature definitely needs to eat a fair amount to properly support your body. Not to mention it’s better than the alternative.” Arianna responded. 

“Mmm, that’s true.” Alfyn nodded, taking his last bite. The Sweetdough was so soft that it practically melted in his mouth. “Damn, that’s good! Where’d ya find these, by the way? Don't think I’ve seen them anywhere else.”

“They’re actually baked in the Woodlands. S’warkii, to be more precise.” Arianna answered, taking a short sip of her milk. “We get them here from time to time. If you want more, then I would ask H’aanit. She might know the recipe, seeing as she’s a huntress from that region.”

“Shucks, you’re right! I’ll make sure to ask her sometime.”

The two fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying the warmth of the fire next to them and the mugs in their hands. The morning so far had been just what he needed. Although yesterday hadn’t been too demanding of him, he still felt that he needed a break. Sinking deeper into his seat, Alfyn could almost feel the tension in his muscles slowly fade away into nothingness. Even an apothecary needed to be pampered everyone once in a while.

Looking over at Arianna, it seemed that she was enjoying herself just as much as he was. However, he could tell that she was still worried about something. While her face was relaxed and at ease, her eyes were constantly moving. She definitely had something on her mind.

“Say, Alfyn? Can I ask you a question?” The older woman said softly, fidgeting around with her mug nervously.

“Shoot.”

“How…how is my lady feeling?” Arianna asked, her eyes brimming with concern.

Alfyn sighed, sitting forward in his seat to show he was paying attention. “To be perfectly honest, I’m not too sure. When I was patching her up last night she seemed just fine, but you and I both know that Prim is really good at hidin’ how she’s actually feeling.”

“I see…” Arianna murmured. She cast her gaze downwards, clearly still concerned with her lady’s well-being.

“Hey, I wouldn’t worry too much. She’s a tough gal. She’ll probably wake up in an hour or two and start complaining ‘bout the cold like she always does.” Alfyn grinned. “Plus, I’m sure Prim will really appreciate you buyin’ these for her. She’ll never admit it, but she likes her sweets well enough.”

“Yes, you’re right about that. Thank you, Alfyn.” Arianna giggled, remembering Primrose’s fondness for chocolate when she was young. 

“You’re very welcome. Can I ask you a question too?” The apothecary requested, staring into the woman’s forest-green orbs. They were the same color as the dancer’s, yet they were completely different. Primrose’s eyes were bright and dazzling, as if they were newly polished emeralds. On the other hand, Arianna’s were more like the color of a tree leaf, matured and aged over the years.

If Alfyn didn't know any better, he might have thought she was Primrose's mother.

"Of course." Arianna nodded.

"Alright then. In your opinion, how do you think she's feeling?"

Arianna's eyes widened slightly, and again her gaze went downwards. She was quiet, clearly mulling over her answer carefully. 

"I believe…that my lady is confused. No, I know she's confused." Arianna confessed, looking into Alfyn's eyes firmly. "For the first time in a decade, the one constant in her life has undergone a significant change. Her quest for revenge."

Alfyn listened intently, not taking his eyes off the older woman for a second.

"There aren't three crows anymore, only two. I think she doesn't know how to respond to that fact yet." Arianna continued. "Whether she should be overjoyed, disgusted, depressed, enraged…she doesn't know. Right now, my lady feels that all of those emotions are neither right nor wrong."

"And that's what worries me." Alfyn interjected, surprised at how severe the tone of his voice was.

"What do you mean?" Arianna probed, curious about what the apothecary's thoughts were.

"One of the things I love most about Prim is how unwavering and direct she is. Ain't no ifs with her, just yes or no's." Alfyn shook his head, smiling affectionately. "She’s amazing. Strong, brave, reliable…and everything in between. And I think that all stems from her determination, and how resolute she always is."

"That's why I'm so worried about her right now, cause she's confused. She startin’ to think in the what-ifs, should-haves, and if-onlys." The apothecary sighed, setting his mug down on the table. "Primrose's biggest enemy isn't the crows, they’re easy to fight against. It's doubt, and the fear of losing her conviction. I know…that she’s gonna be just fine, but I just—”

“…You feel helpless, don't you? You feel as if you should be doing more for her.” Arianna whispered solemnly.

“Y-yeah, how’d you know?” Alfyn blinked, surprised that the woman had guessed how he had been feeling. 

“I once felt that way as well, when Geoffrey died. She was just a little girl back then, but her whole world fell apart right in front of her.” Arianna said in a hushed tone. “I did everything I could to put a smile on her face, but it always felt like I wasn’t doing enough. Then…she left, and I remember thinking that I had failed her.”

“O-oh…” Alfyn stuttered. What Arianna had said hit a bit too close to home for his liking. She had been practically spot on, describing his feelings to the exact. 

“Alfyn, may I offer a piece of advice?”

The apothecary nodded slowly.

“Please, don’t feel that you have to protect her. You said it yourself, my lady is strong. She doesn’t need anyone to safeguard her, and I’d be willing to bet that she wouldn’t want that either.” Arianna requested, clutching her mug tightly with both hands. “Just stay beside her. Make sure she knows that she isn’t alone. What Primrose needs is love and support, not protection.”

For whatever reason, Alfyn thought back to the day when he and Primrose first met, when he ended up finding her in the desert after killing Helgenish. He remembered exactly how she had looked: bloody, exhausted, and shaky. However, the fire in the dancer’s eyes never wavered, even when she had to bury the body of her best friend. Alfyn couldn’t even begin to imagine how broken he would be if he had to do the same for Zeph. 

The young man chuckled. How could he have forgotten? Primrose was strong, much stronger than he was. Alfyn was an apothecary, not some daring hero from a children’s book. His job was to walk alongside her during her quest and pick her back up when she fell down. Besides, if anyone deserved to play hero, it was Primrose. He had seen that firsthand yesterday, when she walked right into the left crow’s lair and brought him down with a quick flash of her dagger.

Not exactly the most righteous of heroes, but a hero nonetheless. And every hero needed someone they could rely on when times got tough. He would be that for her, someone that she could put her faith in.

“Thanks, Arianna. I definitely needed to hear that.” The apothecary smiled warmly. It felt like the giant weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. A weight that he had put there himself, might he add.

“All I did was return the favor.” The older woman chuckled, before taking on a more sincere expression. “Take care of her for me, won’t you?”

“You have my word.” Alfyn nodded.

“Now this is a pair that I never thought I’d see.”

Alfyn and Arianna turned towards the voice only to find Primrose walking towards them with a curious glint in her eyes. She was dressed in her cloak and her usual dancer’s attire, but it appeared that the dancer had opted to leave her jewelry off. That was to be expected, of course. Wearing metal in such a cold environment wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world. At least, that’s what Alfyn had been told by the girls.

“Mornin’, Prim!” 

“Good morning, my lady.”

“Good morning indeed. Seems like you two have made yourselves quite comfortable.” The dancer smirked, her eyes widening slightly when she noticed the drinks in both of their hands. “And what’s this? You even bought some warm milk? My, how spoiled.”

“Hey, hey, not so fast. These were on the house.” Alfyn gestured to his drink playfully. “Innkeeper brought ‘em to us when he saw us chatting. Good fellow.”

“Oh? Then where’s mine?”

“Sorry, only us early birds get drinks. But you’re in luck! Arianna bought these for us.” The apothecary laughed, handing the dancer one of the Sweetdough rolls. “They’re mighty tasty. I think you’ll really like them.

“How lovely, Arianna. Thank you.” Primrose smiled, taking a seat next to Alfyn. “So, what were you two discussing?”

“Oh, nothing in particular. We were just—” Arianna spoke, but was quickly cut off.

“We were talkin’ about you, actually.”

The reactions from the two women were almost comical, and Alfyn had to keep himself from bursting out in laughter. Arianna looked at him with wide and panicked eyes, as if she couldn’t believe that he had just admitted that so casually. On the other hand, Primrose went completely still, trying to process what she just heard. After a few seconds, the dancer flushed a light pink and began twirling her hair around her finger nervously.

“O-oh, I-I see…and just what were you saying about me?” The dancer stammered, trying to recompose herself. It wasn’t like Alfyn to be this bold.

“Nothin’ much, I was just telling Arianna here about that time I slid an ice cube down your shirt when we were in Flamesgrace.” Alfyn teased with a wide grin. “Man, I still remember just how funny you were! Ran around the room like a chicken with its head cut off! You really hate the cold, don’t ya?”

“I beg your pardon?!” Primrose shrieked, turning towards Arianna in distress. “Forget everything that he just told you, Arianna. I did no such thing.”

“O-of course, lady Primrose.” Arianna sputtered.

“And you!” The dancer exclaimed, turning back towards Alfyn and giving him a sharp pinch on his arm. “What’s gotten into you today that’s made you so cheeky?! Especially first thing in the morning.”

“Yeowch, Prim! I thought you said you’d stop doing that! Shucks, just about peeled off my skin…” Alfyn grumbled, rubbing his arm gingerly. “Wait, I think I see a welt forming up…” 

“Oh! Oh dear! I’m so sorry, Alfyn! Let me see—”

As Arianna watched the two travelers go back and forth, she was reminded of the day that she first met Primrose. The dancer had only been around seven years old at the time, but the way she carried herself so elegantly had surprised Arianna a great deal. On the surface, the young girl presented herself as any other noble child would, content and grateful for the luxuries that she had been born into. 

But Arianna remembered feeling a bit sad for her. She couldn’t quite figure out why, but there was one image that was always stuck in her head. It was the young girl’s smile. So stiff and rigid, almost like it had to be perfect. As if it was her responsibility to do it correctly. At first, Arianna had thought that to be Primrose's natural smile, but of course, that was far from the truth.

It wasn’t until a few weeks later, when Arianna found Primrose in the garden one early morning, that she caught a glimpse of her true smile. The young girl had watched the sunrise with such joy and bliss, that her smile shined just as brightly as the sun in front of her. In that small moment, the child had been able to truly be herself without having to worry about her responsibilities as the heir of a noble house. 

Primrose's smile that morning was a sight that Arianna would never forget. 

So when that same smile reappeared on Primrose's face as she was bickering with the young man next to her, Arianna knew she was going to be alright. 

Because after years and years of searching, her lady had finally found her new sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hello! Glad to see you made it this far! Another fairy long update, the longest so far in fact, but that was to be expected considering it's another story chapter from the original game. This one was tough to write, as I went through my first experience with writer's block while I was writing it. Thankfully, I managed to push through and upload at a somewhat acceptable time. Still, I apologize for the wait.
> 
> I think another reason this chapter was so hard to write was because I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to fit Alfyn into this. Primrose's chapter two is almost entirely about her, and it felt wrong for Alfyn to take on a major role. But at the same time I can't exactly completely ignore him and focus on just Primrose, because I feel that would diminish the relationship they've built so far. So finding a good balance was definitely difficult, but I think I pulled it off decently well by using Ch. 5 as a reference. On another note, how many of you caught the Gurren Lagann reference? If you did, props to you, as that's one of my favorite shows.
> 
> Again, no major updates. Thanks for reading, and I hope everything is well with you all! Have a good one.


	8. Affection

Primrose sat silently on her bed, watching the fire in front of her pop and crackle quietly.

The inn in S’warkii wasn't anything overly impressive, but having a fireplace in each room was something Primrose found she greatly appreciated. The dancer loved a good fire. It provided her with many of the things that she liked: warmth, brightness, and something to stare at when she was lost in thought. Aside from a nice sunrise, what else could provide her with all three? Absolutely nothing, that’s what.

“Maybe I should’ve set the left-crow on fire instead…” The dancer thought jokingly. 

The group had arrived in S’warkii just a few days ago to rest, and so H’aanit could update the village on what had happened to Z’aanta. Surprisingly, the town had reacted to the news fairly well, most likely because they knew that H’aanit was on the job. Now that the huntress had acquired the means to protect herself from Redeye’s petrification, she was finally ready to face the beast. She had received word from the Knights Ardante that they had sighted the mysterious creature in Marsalim, so that would be where the huntress was going next. Of course, there were still many stops their party had to make before they would reach the great Sunland city, but Primrose knew that H’aanit was already itching to hunt Redeye once and for all.

The group had held a meeting yesterday in H’aanit’s cabin to discuss their journey going forward. Their next stop would be Bolderfall, so that Therion could return the ruby Dragonstone to Cordelia. After that, they would be staying in the Cliftlands and making their way to Quarrycrest, where Cyrus would be meeting an old friend in hopes of obtaining information on the missing tome. Apparently, Tressa wanted to travel there as well, as it was the location where the author of her cherished notebook had left off their journey. In reality, the young merchant was probably only interested because she could make a good amount of leaves off the mines there. Always an ambitious one, she was.

Their next stop afterwards would be Clearbrook, to rest up for a few days before heading to Saintsbridge for the kindling.

Finally. Clearbrook.

The dancer and apothecary had pushed hard in yesterday’s meeting to stay for a few days in Alfyn’s hometown, rationalizing that it would be the perfect place to rest after their time in the Cliftlands. Thankfully, the idea was well received by the rest of their companions, seeing as it was genuinely a good suggestion. But Primrose would be lying if she said she didn’t have any ulterior motives.

The dancer had been practically counting down the days until her visit to Clearbrook ever since Alfyn and her had made that promise several months back. Especially recently, after all that had happened in Stillsnow with Arianna and the left-crow. Primrose needed a break from everything so she could calm her mind and refocus herself on her quest, because right now she was feeling completely overwhelmed.

What better place to do that than the place she had been looking forward to for the past half-year?

Primrose knew that her expectations were set a bit too high, and maybe that could be blamed on Alfyn for talking about Clearbrook as if it was paradise. Still, the dancer couldn’t wait to see the Riverlands, even if it was completely different from the way she imagined it. Bright green grass, crisp fresh air, and tall rustling trees as far as the eye could see. Not to mention the acclaimed lakes and rivers, which were said to be filled with water as clean and pure as driven snow. 

Yes, high expectations indeed.

Of course, she wasn’t the only one that was excited. Alfyn had been prattling on about it yesterday practically all day, going on and on about how much fun it was going to be and how thrilled he was that everyone was going to meet his family. Primrose found it endearing, but she knew that others might find it slightly aggravating. Thankfully, he was going to be stuck inside all day, so she wouldn’t have to worry. 

She had Tressa to thank for that. The young merchant had come down with a rather harsh cold yesterday shortly after the group had arrived in S’warkii. After a quick examination, Alfyn concluded that she wasn’t healthy enough to travel, and that it was best for her to rest a few days. As a result, they had all decided in yesterday’s meeting to split up the party. Alfyn, Tressa, H’aanit, and Primrose would stay in S’warkii until the young girl got better. Olberic, Therion, Cyrus, and Ophilia would leave for Bolderfall ahead of the others, as it was only a few days trip. They would all reconvene later at the Ravus Manor, where Therion was sure Cordelia would allow them to stay while they waited.

Therion and those who were accompanying him had left this morning, leaving H’aanit and Primrose with nothing to do while Alfyn cared for Tressa in the huntress’s cabin. The two women managed to busy themselves by helping around the village, which proved productive as they were rewarded with a room at the inn free of charge. That was convenient, as H’aanit’s cabin wasn’t spacious enough to house more than two people. That meant that Alfyn and Primrose would have to sleep at the inn, which would have been expensive if they hadn’t secured free room and board.

And that was where Primrose was now, trying her best to relax as the sun slowly started to descend outside the window. 

H’aanit had left a few minutes ago to check on Tressa, and so she could tell Alfyn about their room at the inn. The huntress had told Primrose that if Tressa was doing better, the two of them would join her and Alfyn for dinner. Otherwise, they wouldn’t see each other until the next morning. The dancer hoped it would be the former. H’aanit was nice company.

Several minutes later, the door to the room swung open. Alfyn stepped in with a dreary smile, holding what appeared to be a wooden tray that was carrying rolls of bread.

“My goodness…you look absolutely dreadful, Alfyn.” Primrose gasped, standing up to take the tray from him. “Oh, what’s this?”

“Haha, I’ve seen better days for sure…” Alfyn chuckled dryly. “H’aanit made Sweetdough before I left, said it’d make for a good dessert after dinner.”

“I’ll have to give her my thanks tomorrow.” Primrose nodded. “I assume she’s staying with Tressa then. How is she doing?”

“Shucks, better and worse if you can believe it. Her cold ended up being somethin’ a bit crummier than what I had thought. Didn’t have the right elixir, so I had to go out and look for the stuff I needed to make it.” Alfyn answered, flopping onto one of the beds with a heavy thud. “Took me a while to get everything and mix it together, but it looks like it ended up doing the trick. Her fever was goin’ down when I left.”

“You should have asked me and H’aanit for assistance. We would have been more than happy to help you gather everything you needed.” The dancer frowned. The huntress and her had had more than enough time today to support the apothecary. Maybe then he wouldn’t have overexerted himself.

“Nah, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. See, the remedy requires you to pluck and gather the flora in a special way, otherwise it won’t turn out right.” The apothecary explained, closing his eyes and putting his hands behind his head. “Woulda took too long to explain it to you two.”

“Perhaps, but still…I could have helped you cut and bind the plants. I have nimble fingers.” Primrose rebutted. 

“That’s what she said.”

“Oh Alfyn, honestly—”

“Prim. Hey.” Alfyn smiled lightly, getting up from the bed and making his way over to the dancer. Once he was next to her, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright. You can help me tomorrow! Besides, it’s best to forget ‘bout tough days, right? Right now, the only thing I’m thinking about is grabbin' some food and relaxing for the rest of the night.”

Primrose opened her mouth to speak, but found that whatever she had wanted to say was lost. She met Alfyn’s gaze, and saw nothing but comfort and reassurance in his eyes.

“I-I apologize. I shouldn’t have been so uptight with you.” The dancer said, casting her gaze downwards. “I was thinking about some things, and I guess I just wanted to feel important or useful in some way.”

“Shucks! Don’t worry about a thing!” Alfyn grinned widely. “What do you say we head to the lobby, catch us some grub, and come back up here to loosen up? Y’know, take the rest of the night off.”

Noticing that Alfyn's hand was still resting on her shoulder, Primrose placed her hand over his. She held onto it delicately, and raised her head so she could meet his gaze. As soon as their eyes met, she gave him a small and gentle smile.

“That sounds lovely.”

*

Their meal had been absolutely delicious. 

Now Primrose knew why H'aanit was such a good cook, seeing as she had grown up in a village whose inhabitants were both master hunters and master chefs. The dancer couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. She was a decent cook herself, good enough to be a housewife if she wanted. Comparing herself to the huntress, however, it was clear that Primrose still had a long way to go. 

It didn't help that she didn't get much practice either. 

Primrose and Alfyn had gone back to their room shortly after finishing their meal and preparing themselves some cold water for the night. They were now sitting on top of each of their beds, passing the time with their favorite leisure activities. For the most part, Primrose liked to spend most of her free time doing maintenance on her dagger and jewelry. On the other hand, Alfyn used his time to write in his apothecary journal, jotting down notes and observations that he made throughout their daily travels. There was a lot to write about for today's entry, considering how busy he had been watching over Tressa. It'd keep him occupied for at least a couple of hours.

"Heya Prim, what's the latest you think we can leave for Bolderfall?" Alfyn asked, keeping his eyes fixated on his journal.

"Hmm, I'd say four or five days. Anything past that and our friends will start to get anxious waiting for us." Primrose mused. "Though, knowing Ophilia, she'll likely start getting worried in only two days’ time."

Alfyn laughed heartily, putting his journal on the bed next to him as he laid down on the bed. "Yeah, Phili's always been like that. All motherly and stuff."

"Indeed. From the moment we met her in Atlasdam. " Primrose giggled softly. "So, what about me? What's the impression I give off to you?"

"Told ya before, didn't I? Kind of an older sister feeling." Alfyn replied, pointing at Primrose. "Especially when you let your hair down. Like during Flamesalam."

"Yes, I remember." The dancer nodded, before putting on a playful grin. "But what if I don't want to be an older sister? What if I want to play the motherly role?"

"Well, if ya want that then better get yourself a new outfit." Alfyn snorted. "Don't see many mothers goin' around like that nowadays. Least not where I'm from."

"What, are you saying you don't like it?" Primrose pouted. Alfyn noticed that her green orbs were now shining mischievously.

"Never said that. You're definitely a sight for sore eyes."

"Perv." Primrose teased further. "Just where have your eyes been recently? I remember you being a lot more respectable."

"I'm not a pervert, I'm a man. Even I have my days, ya know?" Alfyn shrugged. "You and the rest of the girls certainly don't make it easy either."

"Oh?"

"Look, I know all of us are super close and like family and everything. But would it kill ya to not act so casual around us when it comes to the more womanly stuff? It's driving us guys crazy." Alfyn whined, sitting up on his bed and crossing his arms across his chest. "Especially you and Phili. H'aanit is the best out of you four, and Tressa's young, so I get it. You and Phili though…Shucks, it's like you two don't even know how pretty you both are."

Primrose blinked. "So you think I'm pretty?"

"Damnit, Prim! I'm being serious." Alfyn chuckled loudly. "Eh, whatever. Can't say I never tried. I've gotten used to it anyway."

Primrose smiled. Maybe it was time to stop teasing the poor apothecary. "I'll talk with the girls. You should have spoken up sooner, however. We weren't aware that we bothered you four to that extent."

"Yeah, no, that's wrong. You mean us three. The professor doesn't count. I'm surprised he even knows the difference between a man and a woman at this point." Alfyn sighed, shaking his head in dismay.

The dancer laughed cheerfully, wrapping her arms around her sides until her laughter began to die down. “Yes, Cyrus is a special one. I’ve never met a man as oblivious as him before.”

“Shucks. You can say that again.”

Primrose laughed again, this time more softly than before. Alfyn stared at her closely. It'd been a long time since he had seen Primrose act so carefree. Ever since their battle with Rufus in Stillsnow, the dancer mood had been noticeably gloomier and more somber. She had always been a fairly fickle person, but for the most part she was fairly calm and light-hearted with the way she behaved. It felt almost wrong not hearing her laugh or having to deal with her incessant teasing over the past few weeks.

So listening to her laugh so jovially like this was a big relief. Just as Arianna had told him, Primrose was going to be alright. Of course she would be slightly discouraged after her confrontation with one of the crows; anyone normal person would. However, Alfyn knew that the dancer would eventually shake off whatever doubts she had, and right now it looked like that was exactly what was starting to happen.

…Well, maybe he could take some of the credit. He’d brought her Sweetdough, after all.

“Alfyn, why are you staring at me like that?” Primrose questioned, noticing that the apothecary was staring at her with a soft smile on his face.

“Huh? Oh, no real reason, really.” Alfyn said quickly, her question snapping him out of his thoughts. “I was just thinkin’ that it’s nice that you’re feeling better.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just that…ever since we left Stillsnow you’ve been kinda out of it, right? I mean, that’s been pretty obvious.” Alfyn explained. “But right now you’re actin’ just like how you usually do. I don’t know, I guess I was just sorta happy to see that.”

A pensive expression flashed across the dancer’s face. “…You noticed?”

Alfyn nodded. “Yeah. I think everyone did.” 

“I see…” The dancer breathed out softly. “Forgive me. I didn't mean to worry you all.”

“Nah, it's okay. They all knew that you’d be back to yourself in no time.” The apothecary shook his head, reassuring her. “Besides, I'm sure the others woulda said something if they were worried.”

"Then, what about you?"

"Huh?"

"You're speaking as if you’re not included." Primrose remarked, folding her arms across her chest. "Which means you're thinking differently about this. So I'm asking you personally. Were you worried about me?"

Alfyn bit his cheek apprehensively. "I was at first, I'll admit."

"What changed?" Primrose pressed further. 

"I…had a talk with Arianna about it. Remember when you found us at the inn that one mornin’?" Alfyn divulged, fiddling with his thumbs. "She told me a lot of stuff I needed to hear. I stopped worrying about ya after that."

“So you two were talking about me, after all…” The dancer whispered. 

“Y-yeah. Sorry.”

“No, no, it’s alright. Actually, that’s reassuring to hear.” Primrose said softly, uncrossing her arms. “It’s nice to know that you two were concerned for me. You both were well within reason as well.”

After that, the conversation came to an uncomfortable silence. Alfyn knew what he wanted to say, but for whatever reason, the words were difficult to get out of his mouth. Still, he had to say them, because if he didn’t the apothecary knew that he wouldn’t be able to get to sleep tonight. And after the day that he just had, Alfyn needed a good night’s rest.

Besides, it was his job to ask these questions. That had been what he decided.

“You…were having doubts about your revenge, weren’t you?” Alfyn spoke abruptly, his voice breaking through the silence as if it was a thick fog.

Primrose drew in a quick break, having been caught off-guard by the apothecary’s query. The dancer shifted atop her bed uncomfortably, mulling over her answer. Just like the young man in front of her, she knew exactly what to say. She had thought about this almost nonstop for the past couple of weeks. Even so, the words were still stuck inside her throat. Because if she said them out loud, she wouldn’t be able to go back on them.

Wait. Wasn’t that the point?

That’s right. She’d decided not to run away anymore. 

“Yes, I was.” Primrose confessed. She met Alfyn’s gaze only to find that his eyes were still and steady. The apothecary was giving her his full attention.

“But not in the way that you are thinking. I’m still fully committed to ending the lives of those filthy crows. In fact, after getting rid of Rufus, it’s only made me even hungrier.” The dancer growled. “My belief in my quest will never falter.”

“So, the doubts are somethin’ else then?” Alfyn responded.

“Yes.”

Alfyn waited a few moments, letting her answer settle in. Several months ago, he had had a conversation like this with Primrose when they were in Rippletide. Back then, he had told her that he wouldn’t push her to speak; that she didn’t have to open up to him. This time, however, was different.

“Would you…tell me what they are?” Alfyn asked gently.

The dancer bit her lip with uncertainty.

“…I’m starting to doubt whether or not this is what my father would have really wanted.” Primrose sighed deeply, shaking her head slowly. “It’s making me, well, reluctant.” 

“I hear ya.” Alfyn replied, his eyes telling her to continue.

“When the left-crow told me to return home to Noblecourt, I realized that my father’s grave would be there. Waiting for me.” Primrose continued. “I swore not to visit him until all of this is over, but even just being near his grave would make me feel like my father was watching over me. And right now I’m not quite sure if he would be proud of my actions.”

“Why wouldn’t he be?”

“Um…”

“Well, first things first, I’ve got something I wanna say after hearin’ what you just told me. Do you want to hear it?” Alfyn offered, giving the dancer a small smile.

“Of course.” Primrose nodded.

“I think the main problem here is that you think that getting revenge on these crow bastards and avengin’ your father are the same thing.” Alfyn proclaimed, getting up from his bed and taking a seat next to Primrose on hers. “They aren’t.”

The dancer’s eyes widened slightly.

“So let me ask ya something. Are you doing this for your father, or because they took your father from you?” The apothecary stated firmly.

Primrose blinked. She hadn’t ever thought about that. After all, every time she thought about her revenge it was always so simple. The crows had murdered her father, and she was going to kill them for it. Point, blank, and period. 

Alfyn was right, however. Getting revenge for yourself and avenging someone else were completely different ideas. One was the very definition of selflessness, while the other was an act of utmost selfishness. So, what was it? For what reason was Primrose dying her dagger red in blood?

That answer was obvious.

“I’m doing this because they took my father away from me. My quest has never been anything but my own selfish desires. That’s all there is to it.” The dancer declared confidently. Her eyes now shined with a passionate fire.

Alfyn grinned happily, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Then there should be no reason why your father wouldn’t be proud, right? You decided to do something for yourself and placed all your eggs in one basket. What is it you always say?”

“Indeed. Faith shall be my shield.” Primrose smiled playfully. “Although, I wouldn’t say that I’ve placed my faith in my quest. I simply believe in it.”

“Wait, what?” 

“Just as getting revenge and avenging someone are different, the same applies to having faith in something or believing in it.” Primrose remarked, tilting her head slightly. “At least, that’s what I think.”

Alfyn raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, ok. Sure. I don’t really get it, but I’m with ya.”

“How could you say something so wise and profound, but immediately go back to being such a dork in just a few seconds?” Primrose laughed brightly. 

“H-hey! I just said what’s on my mind. Ain’t nothin’ special about it.” The apothecary frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. “I’m just a country bumpkin, after all.”

“Perhaps, but you’re one special country bumpkin, Alfyn.” The dancer said, meeting Alfyn’s eyes with a genuine smile. “Thank you.”

"You're very welcome!" Alfyn's grin widened in response. “Anyways, why’d ya say you haven’t placed your faith in your revenge? Still kinda confused on that whole thing.” 

“Hmm, I’m not quite sure to be perfectly honest. I just feel that it isn’t the right time yet. That’s all.” Primrose hummed. She stretched out her arms in front of her and let out a pleasurable sigh. It was as if the heavy feeling in her chest had just faded away.

“Then what do you have faith in?” Alfyn asked casually, rocking back and forth on top of Primrose’s bed.

“You.”

Primrose answered unintentionally and a bit too fast for her liking. As soon as she realized what she had said, the dancer’s eyes went wide with shock and she covered her mouth with her hand instinctively. Her face flushed a deep crimson under the apothecary’s gaze, who was staring at her with a dumbfounded expression. The last time Alfyn had seen her this shy and embarrassed was…never. Primrose wasn’t the type of girl to be bashful. In fact, she usually was the one teasing others and making them blush against their will.

So this was an opportunity that Alfyn couldn't just pass up.

“You have faith… in me?” Alfyn smirked, raising a single eyebrow in amusement.

“Oh u-um! E-er. Yes, of course!” Primrose stammered nervously. The dancer kept trying to recompose herself, but was failing miserably. “W-why wouldn’t I?! I trust you a great deal, Alfyn! Just as I have faith in the rest of our companions as well."

“Ah, she ran away.” Alfyn thought internally. He made sure to maintain the sly smirk on his face as she spoke.

Noticing his smug expression, the dancer narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me Alfyn, but I couldn’t help but notice you looking at me peculiarly once again, so allow me to ask you once more. Why are you staring at me like that? Hmm?”

“Shucks, ain’t it obvious? This is the first time I’ve seen your cheeks so red that they match your outfit.” Alfyn snickered. “Gotta burn this sight into my eyes, cause I ain’t sure I’m gonna see it again.”

“You will say nothing to our friends when we see them again, or else.” Primrose warned, crossing her arms threateningly. 

“Yeah? That a threat?”

“I’d like to think it’s more of a foreshadowing.” 

The apothecary winced. Yikes. Maybe he’d taken his mocking a bit too far. The smart thing to do would be to let up, and let the brunette cool down for a bit. But where was the fun in that? Besides, this was just payback for all those times Primrose had picked on him in the past half-year. He wasn’t about to back down.

“Uh-huh. Well, sorry to tell ya this, but I’ve picked up a thing or two when it comes to this kinda debauchery.” Alfyn responded confidently, raising his chin ever so slightly. “And it’s all thanks to you.”

“Whatever do you mean?” The dancer purred ominously, leaning in closer to the apothecary.

“As a former lady of a noble house, you understand how blackmail works pretty well, right?” Alfyn said slowly.

Primrose paled. She knew where he was going with this. “You wouldn’t…” 

“You behave yourself, or I ain’t giving ya massages anymore.” The apothecary demanded. “And don’t think I’m gonna back outta this like I did when we were at Atlasdam! I’m one-hundred percent serious.”

“Oh, that’s not fair! You can’t deal with me as if I’m some sort of pet!”

“I dunno ‘bout that. You act an awful lot like a cat sometimes.”

“Cheeky little imbecile…” Primrose grumbled, refusing to meet Alfyn’s gaze out of frustration. She knew that she had lost this one. “The nerve! And that wasn’t even blackmail! It was extortion!”

“Extortion, blackmail. Whatever. Same thing in the end.” Alfyn replied, rolling his eyes.

"Ugh!" 

Primrose let out a strong huff and sprawled herself across her bed. “I cannot believe you were the one to finally best me at my own game. Out of all the people…”

“I learned from the best, after all.” Alfyn laughed. He leaned himself back on his hands, looking down at the dancer with a knowing expression.

“Indeed. I suppose when two people have traveled with one another as long as we have, you adopt a few things from them.” Primrose conceded. “I wonder then if I’ve taken some aspects from you—MMPH!?”

Before she could finish her thought, Primrose was cut-off by a pillow that had been thrown right against her face. Almost immediately she turned to face Alfyn, her eyes wide open in disbelief. He returned her gaze with a sheepish grin, clearly regretting what he had just done. Even so, she felt no sympathy for the young man. He had chosen his fate. After staring at each for a few moments, the dancer held up the pillow menacingly while her lips twisted into a sinister smile.

Alfyn chuckled nervously.

Now THAT was too far, huh?

*

Their pillow fight had gone on for so long that it wasn't until Primrose stopped to take a drink of water that they realized it was nighttime.

“Should probably get to sleep, dontcha think?” Alfyn yawned, stretching his arms upwards.

“Yes, but first you need to go bathe. I refuse to sleep in the same room as you if you’re going to stink up the place.” The dancer frowned. She pointed towards the door empathically and stared right into the apothecary’s eyes so that he would know this was a non-negotiating matter. If there was one thing in this world that Primrose despised more than anything else, it was poor hygiene.

“A bath does sound pretty good right about now. Alright, I’ll be back in a couple!”

Primrose nodded and gave Alfyn a small wave as he closed the door. She suppressed a giggle when she heard the young man stumble on his way towards the bathing area, cursing his clumsiness underneath his breath. Once he was gone, the room went back to being completely silent. The only sound that made it to her ears were the soft pops of the flames from the fireplace, and even those were starting to slowly die down.

The dancer took a quick check of her body odor to see if she needed a bath as well. Nothing overly rancid, but not exactly the most refreshing scent either. Still, it could wait until the morning, which would be when she needed it most. Primrose hadn’t sweat very much during their epic pillow struggle. In fact, she hardly did at all in general. Just another wonderful trait that she had her genetics to thank for. The young woman had been truly blessed when it came to those.

Alfyn returned a few minutes later with a damp towel around his neck and a very tranquil expression on his face. His messy golden hair was still wet and had been left loose instead of tied up into its usual ponytail. Styled like this, it looked more like a lion’s mane than a normal head of hair. 

“Ah…I feel like I’m young and fresh again. That really hit the spot!” Alfyn murmured pleasantly. He plopped down next to Primrose on her bed like a rock, making the dancer bounce up in the air for a second. 

“Alfyn, you’re 21.”

“Shucks, I’m turnin’ 22 here soon though. I’ll be old and grey before ya can even blink.” The apothecary smiled.

“That reminds me, it’s going to be my birthday soon as well. A month after yours, correct?” Primrose raised an eyebrow in question.

“Yessiree! We gotta celebrate with a big ol’ party. If we make good time through the Cliftlands, maybe we’ll even be in Clearbrook by then!” Alfyn cheered loudly, thrusting his hands into the air.

Primrose shook her head wistfully. “While that would be positively delightful, it’d take a miracle for that to happen. We’ll most likely commemorate yours in Bolderfall, and mine in Quarrycrest. I’m sure it will be a good time regardless.”

“Damn right!” The apothecary shouted, sitting up on the bed next to the dancer. “That sucks though. Guess it’ll have to be next year then!”

“Next year?” 

“Yup.”

“You mean a year from now, when you’ll be turning 23?”

“That’s right, and you’ll be on your way to 25.”

The dancer chuckled, pulling a stray hair behind her ear. “So you believe we’ll still be traveling together by then?

“What kinda question is that? Course we will.” Alfyn responded with a quick laugh. “Don’t you think so?”

“Hmm…no you’re right. I can’t imagine a world when we’re all not traveling with one another.” Primrose hummed in agreement, turning towards Alfyn to meet his eyes. “Especially you and I. We’ve been together so long now that it almost feels wrong not having you by my side.”

“Next week’ll make eight months since we set out from Sunshade together.” Alfyn grinned peacefully. “Who woulda thought, huh? A dancer and an apothecary.”

“Not the most common duo, definitely. But I’d say it has worked out fairly well for us, hasn’t it?” Primrose said as her lips curled up into a small smile.

“Yeah. It sure has.”

Staring at him, the dancer saw Alfyn’s eyes glaze over in the same way they did during their conversation on the porch back in Flamesgrace. Normally, she wouldn’t think much about it, but this was the second time she had seen him with this expression now. What concerned her, however, wasn’t the fact that he was absorbed in thought. It was how different it was from the usual.

Normally when the apothecary was like this he wore a dazed or disoriented look, as if he was in his own little goofy world. This was completely unlike that. Alfyn’s eyes and face showed an intense longing, almost like he was reaching out to something that he couldn’t quite reach. It was both an unsatisfied, yet passionate expression. One that didn’t fit his usual behavior.

“That’s not the first time I’ve seen you with that look.” Primrose recalled. She wasn’t about to let their conversation die down, not when she was having such a good time.

“H-huh!? Oh, my bad. Didn't mean to space out there." Alfyn responded quickly.

Primrose looked at him and raised a single eyebrow. "Ah-ah mister. Tell me what's going on in there."

Alfyn opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated for just a slight moment. "It's nothing, really."

Primrose raised her eyebrow higher.

"Shucks, Prim. Don't do that. It's pressuring me."

"Well, that was my intention."

"You really wanna know?" Alfyn sighed, closing his eyes in defeat.

"I've told you a lot today. I think it's only fair that I listen to your worries as well." The dancer responded. She gave the apothecary a slight nod, telling him to continue.

"Nah, I'm not worrying 'bout anything. I was just thinking—" Alfyn said, before stopping himself halfway. Looking downwards for a moment, his eyes went blank for just a second. He then quickly shook his head, and met Primrose's eyes once more. 

"Hey, have you thought about what you're gonna do after your quest is over? When we're done traveling the world?" The apothecary asked, his voice calm and steady.

"Hmm, no, not particularly. I haven't given it much thought—"

"Then, would you consider coming back to Clearbrook with me?"

It took a while for Primrose to register what it was that she had just heard. It took her even longer to figure out what exactly he meant by it. It took her even longer than that to try and make sense of it. Then, the dancer realized something. For the first time since they had met, Alfyn had left her completely speechless.

There was so much that his words could mean. It could be something as simple as a generous invitation to go and have a good time for a few days. It could be something slightly more serious, like he wanted to make sure she was mentally stable after everything. Maybe the request wasn't just for her and included everyone else as well. There were so many ways his words could be interpreted.

But there was one possibility that left her heart thumping madly.

Primrose wasn't expecting this, and she certainly wasn't prepared for it either. Perhaps what made this situation even crazier, is that Alfyn was clearly feeling the same. He stared at her hesitantly, his deep brown eyes storming with a maelstrom of emotions. The one that stood out most prominently: uncertainty. A powerful emotion, one that Primrose had grown quite familiar with during the past few weeks. She knew what it felt like; a churning pit of anxiety that stayed glued to your chest. 

So even if she had completely misunderstood what he had said, she was going to respond. Even if she was wrong, and this was nothing more than a foolish memory that they would joke about later down the line, she was going to answer him seriously.

She knew her answer.

And this time, it didn't get stuck in her throat.

"That…would make me very happy, Alfyn."

*

H’aanit knocked carefully on the inn room’s door and stood back patiently, waiting for one of her fellow travelers to let her in. 

Primrose had told the huntress yesterday that she and Alfyn would meet her at her cabin first thing in the morning to check-up on Tressa and to help her prepare breakfast. Considering it was now getting close to breakfast time, it was probably safe to assume that the dancer had overslept. That wasn’t a surprise. Primrose often slept late when they weren’t on the road. 

What was strange was the fact that Alfyn had slept in today as well. He was usually an early riser, seeing as he did most of his herb gathering in the morning. It seemed that wasn’t the case today, however. Perhaps it was because he had overworked himself yesterday taking care of Tressa. He had obviously been quite exhausted when he left her cabin the day before. The apothecary likely needed a good rest.

Thankfully, Tressa had woken up today feeling much better. At least, that was what she had said.

After waiting for a few moments and receiving no response, H’aanit knocked again. This time a little louder. “Primrose? Alfyn? Art thou awaketh?”

Again, no response. H’aanit raised an eyebrow. Maybe they’d left the door unlocked? Sure enough, when the huntress pushed down on the door handle, it swung open without difficulty. Stepping into the room, H’annit was about to open her mouth to speak when she caught sight of her two companions.

Alfyn and Primrose were curled up with each other on the farthest bed, each of them sleeping soundly on top of the covers. The dancer was facing the young man and had her forehead gently pressed against his chest. She was breathing gently, and her serene expression was one that H’aanit had never seen before. Alfyn had his arms loosely wrapped around her, and was breathing evenly until a piece of Primrose’s hair tickled his nose. The apothecary’s face scrunched up slightly, and his breathing was interrupted momentarily before settling back into its steady rhythm. 

H’aanit blinked.

Now this was quite the discovery. Based on the fact that the two weren’t underneath the covers and hadn’t even changed into their sleepwear, they had most likely fallen asleep like this unintentionally. Even so, if anyone else aside from her or maybe Olberic had stumbled upon them like this, it would have been quite the scene. And knowing how the dancer usually reacted when she was embarrassed, it wouldn't have been pretty for anyone. 

So, H'aanit decided to simply turn around and close the door. 

On the way out, the huntress made sure to tell the innkeeper not to let her friends know that she had visited them. For now, H'aanit could take care of Tressa well enough on her own. After all, this was too valuable an opportunity to pass up. She'd wait for them to wake up on their own, realize the situation, and take amusement in what would surely be awkward behavior from them both later today. Besides, what would be more entertaining? Having all four of them share a normal meal at the inn, or cooking a delicious S'warkii breakfast for her favorite young merchant while telling her all about this new development.

The answer was obvious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hello everyone! Good to see you all again. Surprisingly, I somehow managed to get this chapter up on schedule. Not the longest one, but not the shortest either. This was was fun to write, but I did get stuck some days when writing certain parts. This chapter does have the most dialogue in any non-canon chapter by far, and it was difficult to come up with it all and revise/edit it to what I wanted it to be. Maybe that's why i couldn't settle into a good writing pace this time.
> 
> Lots of development this time, both for the characters and the romance between them. But nothing too exciting concerning the story. That was intentional. With the past three chapters being so heavy, I wanted this one to be more calm and focused on plot points/setting-up stuff.
> 
> So, the next chapter is going to be a fairly long one. That being said, it might take me a bit longer to get it out. I don't quite know how long it will be; certainly no more than a month. But probably a bit more than the usual, so 2-3 weeks. Then again, I want it to be the best chapter yet, so who knows? When it does come out though, I hope to see everyone there! Again, thanks for reading, and have a great day!


	9. Love I

The second Alfyn saw the familiar rooftops of his neighbor's houses his heart leapt for joy.

"Oh man, oh man! We're finally here guys! We made it!" The apothecary shouted, running ahead of the group without a second thought.

Behind him, Tressa pumped her fists into the air and let out an excited yell. "Hell yeah! Out with the Cliftlands and in with the Riverlands!" The young merchant ran ahead of the party as well, jumping on top of Alfyn's back without warning.

"It's about damn time. It's really freaking nice to actually see something green again." Therion grinned. "Can't wait to finally try the mead Alfyn's been goin' on about."

"Agreed. I do hope we'll pay a visit to the tavern later." Olberic nodded, nudging Therion's shoulder with his elbow. The thief's grin stretched out even further. It seemed that the two of them were on the same wavelength.

"Knowing Alfyn I'm sure we'll be there fairly early into the night." Ophilia laughed. Beside her H'aanit smiled and gently patted Linde's head. The snow leopard wagged her tail happily, eager to explore the new town.

"Well, shall we make our way over then?" Cyrus said, walking ahead towards the young merchant and apothecary.

Everyone followed suit except for Primrose, who was staring at the rooftops with wide eyes. She took a couple of hesitant steps forward, only to stop after a few seconds and look downwards.

Noticing the dancer lagging behind, Ophilia turned around and called out to her. "Primrose? Is everything alright?"

Hearing her name, the brunette brought her gaze upwards and met Ophilia's eyes. She was looking at her with a concerned look, as she always did whenever one of her companions was acting strangely. Giving her a quick nod, Primrose made her way beside Ophilia and the two women started walking towards the rest of the group together. As they got closer, the butterflies in the dancer's stomach only became increasingly restless.

"Are you sure you're okay? Your face is very tense." Ophilia asked.

"Is it? I don't feel tense." Primrose shook her head. "But perhaps it's because…"

"Hmm?"

"I think it's because I've been looking forward to visiting Clearbrook for so long." Primrose confessed, pulling a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Maybe I'm just nervous about whether or not it'll live up to my expectations."

Ophilia smiled warmly and gave the dancer a slight nod. "I can see that. I was very anxious myself when I finally got to visit the Goldshore cathedral, but as soon as I saw it all my nervousness went away. So don't worry, I'm sure everything is going to be great!"

Primrose responded to Ophilia with a warm smile of her own. She always knew what to say to comfort someone who was feeling distressed. If anyone was the mother of their group, it was most certainly the cleric. She had stepped into that role the very first day that they all started traveling together, and thankfully, she hadn't stopped playing the part since. If it wasn't for her guidance and discipline, then each member of their party would have likely succumbed to their own foolishness a long time ago.

Primrose herself included.

As the young women approached the town's entrance, the dancer saw Alfyn walking back towards them with a large grin plastered across his face. He came to a stop right next to the entrance sign, and put both of his hands on his hips as he waited for them both. The way he looked now, it was as if the apothecary had never left Clearbrook and was simply welcoming two wandering travelers into his beloved home.

"I'll go on ahead." Ophilia giggled, taking a quick look at the dancer next to her.

"Ah, Ophilia. Wait—"

"Heya, Prim! Could I talk with ya for a sec?"

Primrose stopped and turned towards Alfyn with a slanted smile. She gave Ophilia a quick wave before making her way over to him, stifling a giggle when she saw the blonde's face flush red as Cyrus approached her. Knowing the professor, it was most likely because he had made some oblivious comment on the cleric's beauty. Still, the dancer knew that Ophilia reacted a bit more affectionately to the scholar's remarks than the rest of the girls. It was fairly obvious what was starting to kindle between the two of them.

Pun not intended.

However, Ophilia and Cyrus weren't the only ones who were getting special attention. There was another pair among their group whose relationship had also recently begun to stir.

Primrose would know. She was one-half of that pair, after all.

"Alfyn." Primrose greeted the other half with a small wave.

"What's with ya? You're stiff as a laundry board." The apothecary chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. "Lemme guess, your feet are sore?"

Primrose raised an eyebrow curiously. "You can tell now?"

"Actually, I've been able to from the moment we met. Just realized it was probably better to wait for ya to come to me 'bout it. Cause otherwise I'd be rubbin' your feet every hour of the day." Alfyn grinned.

"I see. Well, now that you have told me that, I'll be coming to you far more often than before." Primrose smirked, placing one of her hands on her hips. "Only because you're so generous."

"You sure it ain't outta spite?"

"Of course not. Do I look like a spiteful person to you?"

Alfyn narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Well, maybe a little." The dancer giggled, tilting her head slightly. Even if she couldn't see them, Primrose knew that her cat-like eyes were shining mischievously. She couldn't help it. This was her nature.

"Yeah, sure." Alfyn said slowly, rolling his eyes sarcastically. "If I had to choose one word to describe ya, it'd be between beautiful, mischievous, or spiteful."

"Well, I'd prefer the former." Primrose smiled before giving Alfyn a playful wink.

The apothecary laughed heartily, leaning against the entrance sign with both of his arms. Seeing him so overjoyed about being back in his hometown made Primrose's chest warm up a bit. She knew that Alfyn had always felt a little homesick because he had left Clearbrook so suddenly. It wasn't like he had left without telling anyone, like Primrose had done so in Sunshade. But unlike her, Alfyn actually had a close relationship with all the townspeople. It had to have been very hard for him to leave without explaining himself to anyone.

Aside from Zeph, of course.

Speaking of, Primrose was finally going to meet Zeph. She had heard so much about him from Alfyn that it almost felt as if she knew him already. It was going to be quite strange to finally see what he looked like, especially considering the fact that Zeph probably didn't know she even existed. Alfyn never wrote back home, after all. Even so, the dancer couldn't wait to shake his hand and thank him for everything that he had done for her favorite apothecary.

So, with that being said…

"You wanted to speak with me?" Primrose asked.

"Shucks, almost forgot!" Alfyn exclaimed. "Well, you probably already know what I'm gonna say, don't ya?"

Primrose smiled, crossing her arms below her chest. "It's about our promise, isn't it?"

"You've been lookin' forward to this, haven't ya?" Alfyn said, the corners of his mouth starting to curve upwards.

"Mhmm. Ever since that night when you pledged to take me here." The dancer hummed. "It's been on my mind practically every day since then, and now that we've finally arrived, well…saying I am excited would be an understatement."

"Do you remember exactly what I told you, though?"

"Huh?"

"I said I'd take you here and introduce you to everyone. Then we'd take a walk through the forest, go for a swim in the river, and have a picnic at the big hill right outside of town." Alfyn smiled, his brown eyes glowing with emotion. "I also said I'd teach you how to fish here when we didn't get a chance to in Rippletide. And don't think I'm letting us leave before we get a chance to dance."

Primrose's eyes widened. Had he remembered all of this from way back then?

"What I'm tryna say is, don't worry. Cause I haven't forgotten." Alfyn declared, caressing the dancer's right arm gently with the palm of his hand. "I know you've been waiting for this for a long time, and so have I. So let's have the time of our lives, alright?"

Primrose blinked. After a few moments, she let out a deep chuckle and shook her head slowly. Taking his hand off her arm, she laced her fingers around his and looked up to meet the apothecary's eyes. She noticed that his face was slightly flushed, likely embarrassed from her soft touch. Taking one last look at the entrance sign, the dancer sighed happily and nudged her head towards the town.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

*

Clearbrook was everything that Primrose had wanted and more.

The first thing that she noticed about the town was that it was slightly larger than she had expected. It certainly wasn't anything overly large, but it was decently sized. Comparing it to the other hometowns of her companions, Primrose would rank it somewhere in the middle. Behind the great cities of Atlasdam and Flamesgrace, of course, but ahead of smaller settlements like S'warkii and Cobbleston. Ironically, it seemed to be just about the same size as her previous home, Sunshade.

The next thing the dancer noticed was the sheer amount of people that were outside. If she had to guess, well over half of the townspeople were outdoors, going about their daily lives peacefully and with smiles on their faces. First, there were the various people who were simply chatting outside their homes or taking a walk through the town. Each of them talking amiably without a single care in the world.

The children were down at the river, playing some sort of kid's game in groups of four. Even from the edge of the town, Primrose could hear their yelling and laughter as the games reached their climactic ends. Not far from the water was a small hill, where the mothers were sitting down on the grass conversing with one another as they looked over their sons and daughters.

Further out was a stone bridge that connected each half of the town. On it was a small group of young men leaning over the edge and skipping stones into the water below. It seemed like they were competing to see who could send their rocks the farthest, and every time someone would make a good throw they would all get rowdy and yell out gibberish while pointing fingers at each other. Every once in a while, someone would cross the bridge and the men would greet them happily with wide grins and lazy waves, putting their competition on hold completely.

And of course, almost all of them spoke with the same accent as Alfyn's.

The last thing she noticed was the scenery. Alfyn had once said that he didn't think there was a place in the entire continent that had more green than Clearbrook, and he was right. The grass and trees were lush and bright, and could be found in nearly every corner of the town. Even the rooftops had their fair share of greenery, as each one was marked with small patches of grasses and weeds.

Then there was the river. The dancer had heard about the Riverland water from some of the traveling patrons in the Sunshade tavern, back when she was still working there with Yusufa. They described the river almost as if it was holy, so clean and pure that you could see the fish swimming around just by looking downwards. Now that she had a chance to see it for herself, Primrose was pleased to find that the rumors were true. The stream of water glistened beautifully beneath the golden sun, and every so often the dancer would see a couple of shadows frantically skirting underneath the surface.

The river was like its own little world, one that was shared between the aquatic life that inhabited it and the benevolent people of Clearbrook that had kept it pristine for generations.

Primrose almost lost herself in the beauty of the river until she heard a small commotion ahead of her. Turning her head to see what was going on, she saw the rest of her companions being greeted by some of the townsfolk. Each of them had a welcoming smile on their face, and one of them was already talking with Olberic about making sure their group's stay here was a pleasant one. He was a young man around her age, with long caramel-colored hair and eyes of the same shade of color. He was plain-looking, but still handsome, and his warm smile reminded her a lot of a certain someone she knew.

As soon as she saw him dressed in the same forest green jacket that she had grown to be so fond of, she knew exactly who the young man was. However, before she could even say anything, Alfyn tightened his hand around hers and tugged them both forward. His pace slowly sped up as they got closer and closer to the crowd of people in front of him. When they were only a few steps away, the apothecary couldn't hold himself back any longer and opened his mouth to speak.

"Looks like you're doing pretty well, aren't ya? Big brother."

The young man's eyes immediately widened, and he turned to face Primrose and Alfyn with an incredulous look on his face. As soon he laid his eyes on them, however, his expression changed into one of absolute joy and relief.

"Is that you, Alfyn?" The young man asked, not believing what was right in front of him.

Alfyn's eyes began to tear up, and he barely managed to choke out his answer.

"Yeah. I'm home, Zeph."

The embrace the two shared after that was something that Primrose would never forget. She never had a sibling, so she never quite understood how strong a brother's love could be. Until now, of course. Alfyn and Zeph weren't related, the dancer knew that. Everyone knew that the two apothecaries didn't share a single drop of blood. Even so, watching them grasp each other so tightly and emotionally made it was clear to everyone there that these two young men were brothers.

That was all there was to it.

"Oh gods, it's really you Alf! What are you doing here?! How have you been? Why—" Zeph laughed breathlessly, finally letting go of Alfyn. "Dohter himself, I-I have so many questions that I can't even get them all out properly!"

Alfyn laughed as well, waving his hands out flat in front of him. "Haha, woah! Hold your horses there, man! I'll answer 'em all later, don't worry. Anyways, I—"

"ALFYN!"

Before he could even finish speaking, the rest of the townsfolk crowded around the apothecary, smothering him in between everyone so that he couldn't escape.

"Golly, it really is you! Hey everyone! Alfyn is back! He's finally back!"

"Alfyn! What took you so long?! We missed you!"

"Good to see ya again, old chap! Have you grown taller since we last saw ye?"

"Heya buddy! We hittin' the tavern later, eh?"

"Oh goodness me! Look at how much you've grown! Oh, it feels like just yesterday you were a small little boy…"

"Shucks! It's really good to see you guys! Ah, damnit…" Alfyn shouted, trying to free himself from the mob. "Hey! You guys mind giving me room to breathe?! I'll catch up with you all later, promise! Just let me talk with Zeph first."

Reluctantly, the crowd of people moved away from the apothecary and went back to their daily lives. Primrose had to hold in her laughter once she saw Alfyn again. His hair was in complete disarray, and his clothes were so disheveled that he looked like he had just been run over by a raging bull. Alfyn shook his head vigorously and blinked a few times to get his bearings back. Once he did, he turned back towards Zeph with a toothy grin.

"Wow! I could barely breathe in there! Guess everyone really missed me, huh?" Alfyn chuckled as he ruffled his hair back into place with his hand.

"I'll say. Wait until Nina hears that you're back. She's going to be all over you for who knows how long." Zeph nodded.

"Oh crap, that's right! Nina! Shucks, I can't wait to see how much she's grown!" Alfyn yelled, looking over Zeph's shoulder. "Wait, she's not behind you? Where is she?"

"In the forest with Lily. She told me she would be back around lunchtime though." Zeph answered, pointing his thumb at the trees behind him. "Which reminds me, that's coming up soon. Why don't we head to my place and we can talk while we eat?"

"That sounds great! Can we please have—"

"Grilled fish and potatoes? Of course, it's your favorite after all."

"Then what are we waitin' for!?" Alfyn beamed, pumping his fist into the air in excitement. "Let's get going!"

"Ahem."

The two apothecaries froze in place upon hearing the deep voice and turned towards it with ashamed looks on their faces. Olberic was staring at them with an amused grin and with his arms crossed in front of his chest. The knight had to force himself not to chuckle. Alfyn and Zeph had been so lost in their conversation that they had nearly forgotten about all of them. Seeing them act like this only made their brotherly bond that much more obvious.

Also, who could blame them?

"Whoops! S-sorry guys, almost forgot." Alfyn stammered sheepishly. Turning towards Zeph and smiling widely, the apothecary gestured to his fellow travelers with his hand. "Zeph, I want ya to meet the people I've been travelin' with. We've been together for a little over nine months, and they've helped me out a ton. There ain't a better group of people in the entire world!"

"We've already introduced ourselves, but allow me to say thank you for everything that you have done for Alfyn." Zeph bowed. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you during your stay to show my appreciation. A friend of my brothers is a friend of mine."

"Nonsense. The pleasures all ours, Master Zeph. Well met." Olberic replied with a warm smile. The rest of the group nodded in agreement beside the knight, each of them sporting their own friendly smile.

As they all reacquainted themselves, Primrose gave Alfyn a light tap on his shoulder to remind him of her presence. The apothecary turned around to meet her eyes, and as soon as he did so she mouthed something to him silently. Alfyn nodded slowly, understanding exactly what she was trying to tell him.

"So, shall we get you all situated at the inn? It's over there right next to my place." Zeph said, pointing at a building on the other side of town. "Don't worry, Alfyn and I will make sure that you all aren't charged a single leaf."

"Actually, Zeph. Before that…"

Alfyn took Primrose's hand into his own once again and held onto it gently as his brother turned back towards him. "I've got someone I wanna introduce you to."

"Oh, my apologies. I got a bit ahead of myself there." Zeph chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He did so in the same way Alfyn always did when he was embarrassed.

Alfyn gave him a light smile before turning his head towards the dancer. "Zeph, this is Primrose. She's the one that's been together with me the longest in our group. We met in Sunshade right after I left Clearbrook, and ever since then she's been by my side. Honestly, I don't know what'd I do without her."

"I see. Primrose, was it?" Zeph smiled warmly, extending out a hand towards the brunette. He raised a curious eyebrow when he noticed their joined hands. "It is lovely to make your acquaintance. Thank you for taking care of Alfyn for so long. I know he can be a handful sometimes."

"Yes, I'm quite aware of that. Think nothing of it, what I do for Alfyn is only a small fraction of what he does for me." Primrose laughed, shaking Zeph's hand sincerely. "It is so nice to finally meet you, Zeph. Alfyn has told me so much about you, and it's great to finally put a face to a name."

"All good things, I hope?"

"Of course."

"Shucks, I never thought I'd see the day that you two would finally meet!" Alfyn said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Heya, Prim! See? I told ya I was taller than him!"

"I can see that, unfortunately." Primrose sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "But still, it's not like you're towering over him. You're only slightly taller."

"Not true! I've got about half a head over him." Alfyn argued. He made his way beside Zeph and stood next to him shoulder-to-shoulder. "Take a look and tell me I'm wrong."

"U-um, Alfyn…" Zeph mumbled, stepping back slightly.

"Shh! Well, whaddya think?" Alfyn shushed quickly, before turning back towards the dancer.

Primrose hummed thoughtfully and began twirling her hair around her finger. After a few moments, her lips curled into a playful smirk. "No, not quite. I'll give you a quarter head, and nothing more. Your hair makes you look taller than you actually are."

"What? There's no way!" Alfyn paled, looking over at Zeph with panicked eyes. "Did ya get taller since I left?"

"I'm not sure, but…Nina did say one day that she thought I had grown a bit over the last couple of months." Zeph replied. "Lily mentioned it as well."

"Oh no. There's no way. Don't tell me…you've hit another growth spurt!?" Alfyn yelled, his eyes widening considerably. "Aw, man! You're gonna pass me up in no time!"

"Even if that were the case, it's hard to believe that I'd be able to even catch up to you, much less surpass your height entirely." Zeph claimed. "Besides, there's also the possibility you'll grow taller as well."

"Yeah! And to do that, I've gotta make sure I'm keeping myself well-fed." Alfyn laughed. "So how about we head over to your place and cook us up some fish! I'm startin' to get mighty hungry."

"That sounds perfect." Zeph nodded, before turning to face Primrose with a gentle smile. "And Primrose, it would be great if you could join us. I'd love to hear all about your travels."

"I would be more than happy to." The dancer smiled happily. She wouldn't pass this up for the world. Besides, Primrose was beginning to feel hungry as well, and if the grilled fish was as good as Alfyn had made it out to be, then she was in for a treat.

"You all are welcome as well, of course." Zeph offered, turning around and facing the rest of the group with open arms.

"Well, that sounds just lov—Ouch!" Cyrus yelped, rubbing his side gingerly. He frowned at Therion next to him, as he had just pinched the professor from behind.

"Why?"

"Just shut up Captain Moron. I'll explain at the inn."

Olberic chuckled and shook his head after a few moments. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid we're all still tired from the trek this morning. I think it'd be best for us six to go settle ourselves at the inn and rest for some time."

"Ah, yes. Of course." Zeph nodded. "I understand completely. Would you like me to come with you to help sort everything out?"

"No, it's alright! We can handle it from here." Ophilia reassured, stepping forward and meeting Zeph's eyes with her own. "We'll come join you a few hours after lunch is over."

"Very well. Meryl's father, Gilford, is the innkeeper. Talk to him and let him know that you're staying as guests of mine. He'll take care of you." Zeph instructed.

"Understood." Olberic nodded. "Well then, I suppose it's time we left. Thank you again, Zeph. I am looking forward to conversing more later."

"Likewise. I wish you all a good rest."

Briefly saying their goodbyes, Primrose and Alfyn waved their companions farewell as they left to go relax at the inn. As they crossed the stone bridge that led to the other side of town, the dancer noticed Ophilia slowly turn her head back towards her. Primrose locked eyes with the blonde for a few seconds, expecting her to wave back or smile briefly as she usually did. Instead, the cleric sent her a playful wink, and turned back around before the dancer had a chance to respond.

Primrose let out a small huff. She knew exactly what Ophilia was trying to say, and it wasn't appreciated. When exactly had she become so cheeky? Oh well, she'd have to get back at her later. Because right now, the only thing the dancer was thinking about was enjoying what little time she had here.

And what better way to start than with a nice, hot meal?

*

"Oh, so you're a dancer? That's wonderful. We've never really dabbled in any of the finer arts here in Clearbrook, but we still love to dance."

"So I hear. Alfyn tells me that you all dance for enjoyment rather than for performance. I'm excited to see exactly what he means by that later tonight."

Zeph let out a small laugh in response and took his first bite out of his fish. Judging by his satisfied expression, it appeared that the meat had been cooked fairy well. That only made Primrose's stomach growl a little louder. She needed Alfyn to hurry up and finish cooking the rest of his portion, or else she was going to start eating without him. The dancer wasn't one to let her hunger control her, but even she couldn't resist the tempting smell from the grilled fish much longer.

Primrose and the two apothecaries had made their way to Zeph's residence shortly after parting with the rest of their friends. Alfyn and Zeph had started preparing their meal as soon as they arrived, both of them clearly eager to eat lunch. While they cooked, Primrose passed the time by taking a look around Zeph's cottage. It was a small home with a very relaxed and cozy charm to it, made out of wooden flooring and smooth clay walls. It looked just like what she always imagined Alfyn's home to look like.

Upon entering through the front door, there was a large wooden bookshelf that held many different types of pots, vases, and containers that were likely used for both cooking and medicine. Next to it was a small nightstand with a small vase of flowers resting on top and a small cabinet that was used to store miscellaneous items. Behind both pieces of furniture were various pots of plants and herbs strung up along the wall, and were illuminated by the candles that were on the dinner table nearby and a few lanterns. Underneath the table was a pretty pink and yellow carpet, which was decorated with a flowery pattern alongside the edges.

A few steps away from the dinner table was the fireplace and chimney, which were both completely made of cobblestone. Hanging over the fire was a decently sized metal pot, which was what Alfyn had used to cook the diced potatoes. Next to the fireplace and against the corner wall was the kitchen area, which was surrounded by various cooking utensils and appliances. Most of the ingredients were in bags and knapsacks that were underneath the table or pressed up against it on the sides.

The final area of Zeph's house was the sleeping area, which Primrose assumed was also where the apothecary took care of his patients throughout the day. It was tucked away in the far corner of the house, and consisted of two adequately sized beds and a wooden chest with flowers set up next to it atop another nightstand. The chest contained all the common tools that the apothecary needed to work effectively, while the nightstand was likely used to hold Zeph and his little sister's clothing.

The house was plain, modest, and humble. It was quite different from what Primrose was used to with the Azelhart manor, but she still found it pleasant. Sometimes simplicity was the ultimate sophistication.

"You have such a lovely home here, Zeph. I have to confess that I am finding myself feeling slightly jealous." Primrose remarked. "The dormitories in Sunshade were not exactly the most flattering place to live in."

"Oh, that's right…working as a dancer in Sunshade must have been a terrible experience." Zeph grimaced, looking downwards solemnly. "I can only imagine what you had to deal with. I'm sure you were forced to go through some very…appalling experiences."

"Yes, I have many memories from my time there that I would desperately like to forget. But I can only blame myself for putting myself in that position." Primrose chuckled sadly. Realizing something, she met Zeph's eyes once more. "Speaking of, I'm surprised that you reacted to my past so well. Most people respond with contempt or disdain, considering the type of work I did."

"Then they should be the ones that are looked upon with scorn. You should never judge someone based on what you know on the surface." Zeph said with an easy smile. "You're clearly well-spoken and well-mannered, so you don't seem like someone that would put themselves through that without a good reason. At least, that's what I think."

"…"

The apothecary raised his eyebrows. "Is something the matter?"

The dancer shook her head in response. "Ah, no. It's nothing. Just…are all of you Riverland apothecaries so kindhearted, or is it just you two?"

"If there are other apothecaries from around these parts, I'd like to meet them!" Zeph laughed, pressing his cheek against his hand. "But no, I think Alfyn and I are a special case. We grew up in such a wonderful and caring town, so it just feels right to treat others the way we have always been treated."

"That's what I thought. Then Alfyn truly…" Primrose whispered, her eyes glazing over in thought.

"Hmm? Primrose?"

"Alrighty! I think I'm finished guys!"

Primrose and Zeph's conversation came to a stop once they heard Alfyn shout from the kitchen area. They each smiled as he approached the table with two large plates of food in each hand. One was his own meal, which had a much larger serving of both fish and potatoes than Primrose and Zeph combined. The other plate was filled with sliced bread that had been lightly toasted with butter. The dancer could feel her mouth watering at the sight of the freshly prepared food.

Alfyn took a seat next to Primrose at the dinner table, handing each of them a clean knife and fork that he had just washed with a wet rag. After helping himself to a few slices of bread, the apothecary grinned at his two closest friends.

"Sorry for the wait! Time to dig in!"

After waiting for what seemed like hours, Primrose took her fork and finally put a warm piece of fish into her mouth. The delicious juices and flavors gushed out as soon as she took her first bite, and almost instantly the dancer's hunger disappeared completely. Alfyn had told her many times just how delicious the freshwater fish from Clearbrook was, but this was on an entirely different level. The dancer would never be satisfied with regular saltwater fish again for the rest of her days.

The potatoes were also delectable, and complimented the meat surprisingly well. Primrose had never heard of this particular combination before, but now it would be deeply ingrained in her mind. Gods, imagine if H'aanit had cooked their lunch instead of Alfyn? It would have been the best meal of her life.

The only thing that was missing was a freshly baked batch of Sweetdough, and Primrose could take care of that with a few minutes in the kitchen. H'aanit had taught her the recipe one night during their stay in S'warkii.

"You weren't kidding when you told me how good the fish was in Clearbrook, Alfyn. This is absolutely delicious." Primrose praised, putting another bite of fish into her mouth and chewing slowly.

In contrast, Alfyn did the same but talked while his mouth was still full. "Glad ya like it! Honestly, it's been a while since I last had some freshwater carp. Forgot just how tasty it is!"

"I'm happy to say that I've remained spoiled with the seafood here. I'm sure in other parts of the world it isn't nearly as good." Zeph chuckled. "On that subject, what do you guys usually eat while on the road? I would think it's nothing too special."

"Yeah, you're right about that. For the most part it's bread, nuts, and dry meat that we store up while we're in town." Alfyn answered in between large bites of food. "When we run outta those we hunt or look for things in the wild, but that rarely happens now. We've gotten really good at plannin' our travels, I'd say!"

"Don't forget about H'aanit. She's able to make a decent meal out of even the most plain scraps of food." Primrose smiled.

"Ah, the huntress?"

"That's the one."

"We owe H'aanit a lot. Olberic and her do most of the fightin' for us while we're on the road." Alfyn grinned. "Shucks, if they weren't there I'd probably be the one playing the meat shield! Don't even wanna think 'bout that."

"Yeah. You're a good fighter Alfyn, and you're good at the frontlines too. But your role should be supporting the shield, not becoming the shield itself." Zeph nodded his head in agreement.

The dancer raised an eyebrow. "Oh? But when you and I were together by ourselves for those first few weeks I thought it went smoothly."

"Wow, you didn't notice? Fightin' with just us two back then really took a lot outta me. I was always bruised up." Alfyn revealed, turning his head towards Primrose. "I remember goin' to sleep early and using my salves in my tent so you wouldn't notice. Good times."

Primrose frowned deeply and crossed her arms under her chest. "Well, why didn't you say so?"

"I don't know! That's how we planned it out at first when we first fought together in the catacombs, and since it went so well for you I kinda felt bad tellin' ya I wanted to change things. Plus, back then you were still sorta on edge all the time, so it felt awkward…" Alfyn responded hesitantly, shrinking under the dancer's harsh gaze.

"Hearing this is starting to make me feel guilty. Gods, I really was difficult back then, wasn't I?" Primrose sighed. "I'm sorry, Alfyn. I never meant to pressure you into that role."

"Nah, don't worry about it. My biggest troubles back then were findin' ways to get you talking on the bad days. Though, I can't really blame ya for that. The Sunlands were awful!" Alfyn exclaimed, staring at Zeph with frightful eyes.

"Then I'll make a point to never take a trip there. It's just unfortunate that you have to cross them to get to the Coastlands. I've always wanted to see the shores." Zeph smiled warmly.

"Oh, they're lovely. We've been to Rippletide and Goldshore, and I very much enjoyed myself in both places. Alfyn and I swam together quite a bit at the beaches there." Primrose nodded.

"I guess that means I'll have to pay them a visit. Nina has told me she's wanted to go as well." Zeph responded.

"Goldshore's also the place you bought me my speargun, ain't it Prim?" Alfyn asked, taking in a mouthful of potatoes.

"That's right, and it cost me quite a bit of leaves. So you better be grateful." Primrose grinned, tapping the apothecary's nose playfully with her fork. She giggled as he quickly backed away with his face all scrunched up. She'd have to do that more often.

"Speargun?"

"Oh damn! That's right, Zeph! Prim got me this really cool thing that lets you spearfish while underwater! I've gotta show ya at the river later." Alfyn yelled out happily, leaning across the table with excitement.

Zeph leaned across the table as well, his eyes shining enthusiastically. "Underwater? Truly?! Heavens, it must be quite the invention!"

Primrose watched as the two young men started chatting away over Alfyn's new fishing tool. Seeing them like this, it was almost as if they were still little kids who had just started learning how to fish. How cute.

"Well, boys will be boys, I guess." Primrose mused internally. Taking in the last bite of her meal, she leaned back in her chair casually, watching Alfyn and Zeph nerd out with each other.

After observing them for a few more moments, the dancer grew bored and decided to stir up the pot a little bit. "I have to admit Alfyn, I never really understood what you find so fascinating about fishing. It seems like it'd be rather dull and boring."

Almost immediately Alfyn whipped his head back towards her and narrowed his eyes. "That's cause you've never tried before. Which reminds me, I'm supposed to show ya how to fish here soon, aren't I? Once you do, you'll change your tune, trust me."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that. I've told you before that I find fish to be rather foul, haven't I? Perhaps my opinion will only grow to be more negative." Primrose purred. She had Alfyn right where she wanted him.

"With me as your teacher, you won't."

"Who said you'd be my teacher? I want Zeph to teach me."

Alfyn's eyes widened. "You'd betray me just like that?"

"Hmm…you know what they say. Sometimes the person you'd take a dagger for is the one who's holding the handle." Primrose smirked mischievously, before turning towards Zeph. "He'd be more than happy to teach me, wouldn't you Zeph?"

"Haha. Um…" Zeph chuckled nervously in his seat.

"Zeph, watch out! She's comin' for you." Alfyn warned. "Get away while ya can, and whatever you do, don't fall for her trap!"

"What do you mean, Alfyn?" Zeph asked while looking back and forth between the two.

"Look closely at her, big brother. This is her true form." Alfyn said jokingly. "Prim's nothin' but a conniving little vixen! If you ain't careful, she'll tease ya till the end of your days."

"I see…I'll be wary then." Zeph nodded in confusion.

"Aw, you're no fun. Guess I'll settle for Alfyn then." Primrose shrugged, narrowing her cat-like eyes at Alfyn.

"Begone, foul creature."

Primrose smirk turned into a wide smile. "Alright, now you're being slightly overdramatic. What have I ever done to you to warrant this reaction?" The dancer asked, holding back her laughter as best as she could.

Alfyn merely raised an eyebrow.

Unable to hold back any longer, Primrose let out a loud laugh, placing her hand over her lips as she began to giggle uncontrollably. The sound of her beautiful laughter caused Alfyn to stop his playful act and smile widely at her as well. The apothecary's eyes warmed over as he stared at the dancer.

And of course, this didn't go unnoticed.

"You two are very comfortable with each other, aren't you?" Zeph said curiously, leaning his elbow on the table.

"Yup! Prim and I have been together for so long now, she's practically like family to me at this point." Alfyn smiled affectionately.

"Oh? Is that a proposal, Alfyn?" Primrose teased, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"Shucks, if only I had a ring…"

"How romantic. Well, you can propose to me once I don't have to babysit you all the time. Honestly, would you even bathe if I didn't remind you almost every night?" Primrose complained.

"H-hey! I'll have you know that I'm pretty good at keepin' myself fresh and clean!" Alfyn responded in protest, patting his chest proudly.

"I'm not sure I believe you."

"Actually, Alfyn has always been fairly responsible when it comes to hygiene. But I don't know if that's changed since he left." Zeph nodded towards Primrose, who eyed him watchfully.

"Ya see, Prim? I ain't some type of country slob who can't take care of himself and—"

"ALFYN!"

The three of them immediately turned to face the front door, which was where the voices had come from. They found two little girls standing there out of breath and with both of their hands on their knees. One of the girls was staring right at Alfyn with watery eyes, and was clearly on the verge of breaking down crying. As soon as she saw him grin at her widely as he always did, she ran towards him and threw herself into his chest without a second thought. The other girl followed closely behind and did the same.

"They said you were back, so I had to see it with my own eyes! Alfyn, you're really here!" Nina sobbed into the apothecary's chest. Next to her was Lily, who said nothing while crying softly into Alfyn's sleeve.

"Yeah, I'm back. It's so good to see you two girls again. Look at how much you've grown…" Alfyn whispered, wrapping his arms around both of them. It took every ounce of self-control he had to hold back his tears. Leaving Ellen and Flynn in Goldshore had nearly broken his heart, and this was just what he needed to help heal it back up.

Zeph came over after a few moments and wrapped his arms around the three of them, finally completing the embrace that all of them had been waiting for almost a year. They didn't all share each other's blood, but they were a family, one that had finally been reunited after being apart for far too long.

Primrose watched the emotional scene with a small smile on her face. She found herself surprised at the fact that she was holding back tears as well. Seeing Alfyn like this, seeing him overcome with emotion…it made her chest warm up like it never had before. The dancer had lost her family, but had found a new one with Alfyn and the rest of her companions. She was just happy that he still had both of his.

The embrace lasted a few more minutes before the two girls awkwardly wiggled their way out of the hug. They stared up at Alfyn with sparkling eyes, clearly excited to spend time with the young apothecary.

"When did you get back?! Oh, and how long are you staying?" Nina asked, jumping up and down energetically.

"As long as you two don't chase me outta town, three days." Alfyn grinned, holding up three of his fingers. "And I got here a couple hours ago, ya didn't miss me for too long."

"Aw, you had lunch without us! No fair!" Lily squeaked.

"Yeah sorry, me and Prim were hungry so we whipped up some grilled fish and potatoes real quick." Alfyn laughed lightly before ruffling Lily's head with his hand. "Don't worry 'bout a thing though, we saved some for both of ya!"

"Prim…? Oh!"

Both of the girls turned around quickly and looked at Primrose with curious eyes. The dancer almost stepped back instinctively, not sure on how to respond. Primrose wasn't particularly comfortable dealing with children as she had never interacted with any of them on a consistent basis. She had also never had a proper childhood, so she wasn't quite familiar with the way normal kids behaved. That being said, Primrose had gotten along fairly well with Ellen and Flynn. She just needed to be herself, and she'd be just fine.

Maybe.

"Hello there. It's nice to meet you. Could you tell me your names?" Primrose asked sweetly. She knelt down slightly so that the two girls would come closer.

"I'm Nina, and this is Lily!" Nina exclaimed, looking up at the dancer in wonder. "What's your name?"

"My name is Primrose. Like the flower." The dancer smiled.

"Wow, just like me!" Lily gasped dramatically. "My name's a flower too!"

"Indeed. Lily is a wonderful name." Primrose nodded slowly, before turning to face Nina. "And so is yours. Both of you have such pretty names that I find myself feeling a bit jealous."

The two girls giggled, their bodies shaking as they laughed. Primrose felt her heart swoon. These girls were absolutely adorable.

After giggling for a few more seconds, Nina pointed at Primrose with her finger. "Hey, Miss Primrose? Can I ask you something?"

"Just Primrose is fine. And of course."

"Are you the beautiful girl that everybody's talking about right now?

Primrose blinked. She looked up at Alfyn and Zeph, but found that their expressions were also confused. "Pardon?"

"Everyone's talking about it! They're saying that Alfyn came back holding hands with a really pretty girl that has long brown hair! Is that you?" Nina asked with a curious look.

The dancer blinked again, and looked up at the two apothecaries once more. Zeph was staring at her with raised eyebrows and looked as if he had just come to an understanding. On the other hand, Alfyn's expression was the complete opposite. His face had flushed a deep crimson, and his mouth was gaped open in disbelief. If Primrose herself wasn't in a state of absolute shock herself, then she would have taken this opportunity to tease him about it for hours on end.

Instead, Promise shook her head quickly. Taking in a deep breath to recompose herself, she looked back down at Nina with a small smile. Just as she had done with Alfyn earlier, the dancer reached out and playfully tapped the tip of the girl's nose with her finger.

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out."

*

"Shucks, Prim. You look really good in that."

Primrose giggled lightly, taking one last quick look-over at her new clothes that she had just bought at the local store. Noticing Alfyn looking at her closely, Primrose gave him a little spin, twirling around slowly in place to better show off her outfit.

As per Zeph's suggestion, the dancer had decided to change out of her normal attire into something a bit less revealing. Primrose knew that Zeph and Nina didn't care about how much skin she usually exposed, but that didn't mean that the rest of the townspeople would feel the same way. Especially considering that Clearbrook was a fairy green and modest town, both literally and figuratively. Even if they were trying their best to ignore it, there were sure to be a few people that found her dancer's attire to be a bit too indecent, and that was understandable. Most of the people here had probably never even seen a dancer before.

Normally, Primrose didn't care about what other people thought about her clothing, or herself in general. But this was different. She wanted to get along with the people in Clearbrook, and she knew that some of them might feel slightly uncomfortable with the way she normally dressed. So, the dancer had decided to purchase a new outfit during her stay here. After spending a few minutes looking around the shop, Primrose spotted a set of clothes that she knew she absolutely needed to have.

"You look just like…"

"An apothecary, right?"

Alfyn nodded slowly. Her new attire consisted of a long white villager dress that went all the way down her legs, stopping just above her ankles. The end of the garment was colored leaf-green, which was sectioned off from the white perfectly by a thin tan line. The dress was long-sleeved, and the cuffs fit around the dancer's wrist loosely like bed sheets hanging off the side of a bed. Over the dress, Primrose had on a forest green vest that was cropped right above her navel and held together in the front with brown string. The last piece of the outfit was a pumpkin-colored scarf that was tethered around her neck loosely, and was knotted in the front in the shape of a bow.

Primrose had chosen to style her hair differently as well. She had left the front of her hair the same, letting her long bangs frame her bright emerald eyes as they always did. Instead of her usual high ponytail, however, the brunette had elected to tie her hair into two long braids. Each braid had two dark-green ribbons at the end to keep the last bit of untied hair in place, which matched perfectly with the new headband that she had bought in place of her regular one. Fashioned like this, the young woman looked like your everyday ordinary village girl that had lived her entire life in her hometown.

One would never have guessed that she was once actually an exotic table dancer at one of the largest pleasure districts in all of Orsterra.

"Y'know, if you looked like this and someone was meeting you for the first time, they'd probably think that you're my assistant or somethin' like that." Alfyn remarked, giving the dancer one last look-over.

"Agreed. I must admit that I am quite pleased with this look." Primrose nodded with a small smile. "Although, it is rather warm…but I'd imagine that is because I'm used to showing a lot of my skin."

"Yeah, you got a point there. The weather in Clearbrook doesn't get too hot, so I wouldn't worry. But we are gettin' close to summer, so who knows?" Alfyn shrugged.

"Ugh, finally. Spending the winter up north was terrible. I've never been so consistently cold in my entire life." Primrose moaned, shaking her head dejectedly. "I'd rather it be scorching outside than freezing. At least then I can do something about it by removing some of my clothes."

"Shucks, Prim. You're being awfully bold today, you know that?" Alfyn chuckled. "Also, most people say they like the cold better for the same reason, except they're thinkin' about putting more clothes on. I think you're the only one in the whole world that thinks about taking their clothes off first."

Primrose blinked. "I believe you're the first man that has ever told me that taking my clothes off is a bad idea."

"Well, that's cause I'm a gentleman. At least, I try to be."

"Hmm, I don't think those actually exist."

"Aw, c'mon. I'd say we've met some pretty stand-up guys during our travels! Well, we've also met plenty of bad ones, so I guess that's not a good examp—" Alfyn said before getting suddenly cut-off by Primrose. The dancer had leaned in towards him quickly and gently placed her pointer finger on his lips.

"Shh. Honestly Alfyn, when will you ever be able to tell when I'm flirting with you? It gets hard for a lady to deal with sometimes." Primrose purred deeply. "Here, I'll make it easy for you. Brush the loose strand of hair in my face away, take my hand, and lead me into the forest so we can take a walk."

The apothecary's eyes widened. He stood perfectly still for a few seconds, letting the blush on his cheeks die down before making his move. Once he was recomposed, he did exactly what she had told him. He gently smoothed her hair back into place with one hand, and used his other to grab hold of Primrose's right hand. The dancer smiled at him affectionately as he did so, trying her best to hide the red forming on her cheeks.

"Alrighty then, ladies first." Alfyn smiled, nodding his head towards the path leading to the forest.

Primrose rolled her eyes playfully and tugged Alfyn forward with her as she began walking towards the path. Eventually the two settled into a comfortable pace and moved in closer to each other as they entered the forest. They said nothing, enjoying the sounds of their surroundings to their fullest, like the wind passing through the trees and the small chirps of the birds moving from branch to branch. Every once in a while, Alfyn gave Primrose's hand a soft squeeze and pointed towards something that he wanted her to see. As time went on, the dancer found herself pressing closer and closer into him, until eventually, she was holding onto his entire arm.

Neither of them said a word.

That was how their relationship was these days. Ever since that one morning in S'warkii when they stirred awake and found themselves tangled up with one another, their relationship had changed completely. Maybe if one of them had woken up before the other, then they might still share the same connection that they had before. But they had roused awake at the same time, and instead of pulling back as she would have expected her to, Primrose had decided to snuggle in closer to Alfyn and press herself further against him. The apothecary had responded by hugging her tightly and resting his head against hers gently as they went back to sleep.

From that point on, Primrose and Alfyn became noticeably more intimate with each other. Soft touches, holding hands, staying up late together on certain nights…it was obvious to their companions what was going on. And it wasn't like the dancer or apothecary hadn't realized it either. Every time they met each other's eyes, the question was always there. However, they silently agreed not to address the subject, choosing to let things play out naturally instead.

And that was how things still were between the two of them, carefully dancing around the subject without actually talking about it. Sure, it was agonizing for the rest of the group, but they found that it worked well for them. They were still comfortable around each other, so there was no reason to push things further until the right moment.

Primrose just wished that moment would hurry up.

"So, you enjoyin' yourself so far?" Alfyn asked, breaking the silence for the first time since they had entered the forest.

"Very much so. I had high expectations, but so far I haven't been disappointed in the slightest. Clearbrook is wonderful." Primrose nodded. "I don't know if three days will be enough. Hopefully, we can convince the others to make another stop here after we're done in Saintsbridge."

"Man, that would be pretty great. I knew that I missed home, but I never thought I'd be this happy to be back." Alfyn smiled widely. "Saintsbridge is still in the Riverlands, so at least it'll feel a bit like home."

"That reminds me, I meant to ask you this. Have you or Zeph ever been to Saintsbridge before?" Primrose inquired, turning her head slightly to look up at Alfyn.

The apothecary shook his head. "Nah, I've never been. And as far as I know, Zeph hasn't either, but that could have changed in the past nine months. Why're you asking?"

"No particular reason. I thought that since the cities are usually in desperate need of an apothecary, maybe you two had gone for work at one point." The dancer answered with a slight shrug.

"Makes sense. But no, we've never visited. Though in the past, we did talk a lot 'bout it. I always wanted to travel around back then." Alfyn chuckled. "Guess I got my wish, but I never would have imagined that I'd be travelin' the whole continent."

"Understandable. You must have thought that you were going to stay in Clearbrook for the rest of your life, right?" Primrose responded.

"Yup! Never really saw a good reason to leave aside for my personal aspirations. But hey, look at me now!" The apothecary laughed, patting his chest proudly with his free hand. "Now I'm an official member of the greatest group of travelers in all of Orsterra! And dontcha forget it!"

"Yes, yes, congratulations. So happy for you."

"For some reason I feel like you're being sarcastic."

"And what gave you that impression?"

"Just a hunch."

"A hunch indeed." Primrose giggled softly. "So, what's the plan for tomorrow? So far, we've only scratched two things off the list. Although, I'm sure you have all of this planned out already, and you're not telling me because you want it to be a surprise."

"Shucks, am I really that predictable?" Alfyn muttered underneath his breath.

"When you're as straightforward a person as you are, that's to be expected." The dancer laughed. "Personally, I think it's a good quality. I'd much rather you be predictable and sincere than erratic and manipulative."

"Then I'll take that as a compliment! So thanks!" Alfyn said happily, and began swinging their joined hands back and forth. "Anyways, I figured we'd save the rest for tomorrow. We should go fishing first thing in the mornin' cause that's when a lot of 'em come out. Then we can relax for a bit until lunchtime, and I thought it'd be fun to have a cookout next to the river so we can swim and eat at the same time. That leaves…"

"The picnic. Oh, and you said you wanted to dance as well." Primrose remarked before taking a look down at her legs. The dancer's feet were starting to get sore, which meant it was time to start heading back.

"Shucks, don't worry about the dancin'. There's always a lot of that going down at the tavern each night! We'll just hop right on in." The apothecary reassured.

"So there's a stage?"

"Nope. Just the floor."

"I-I see. It must be quite a rowdy experience then." The dancer chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, but trust me, it's a ton of fun! I'm sure you'll have a good time." Alfyn grinned widely, turning his head to meet Primrose's eyes.

"Indeed. I'll be looking forward to it." Primrose smiled genuinely in response. "That being said, my feet are starting to hurt, and I'll need them to be fresh if I'm going to be on the dance floor tonight. So, how about we head back and get some rest?"

"Sounds good! Follow me then, I know the quickest way back." The apothecary nodded, before turning them around completely. "Once we get back, I'll give ya a massage to help your feet. You'll feel just like new."

The dancer smirked mischievously. "Oh, but I want Zeph to do it."

"Shucks, Prim!" Alfyn protested loudly. "Can't believe I thought you'd behave while we're here. If anything, your teasin' has gotten worse."

"Fine, I'll simmer down. I promise." Primrose relented, before her eyes widened as she realized something important. Her lips began to slowly reform into another devious smirk.

"By the way, Alfyn. I just remembered something I wanted to ask you." The dancer purred softly.

"Sure, go ahead!"

"Since Zeph is also an apothecary, does that mean he has his own special man-purse like yours?"

*

Clearbrook's tavern wasn't anything special. It was a small establishment, not even half the size of the tavern that she previously worked at in Sunshade. However, like everything else in Clearbrook, it had a certain charm to it that made Primrose feel comfortable as soon as she stepped in through the front door. The festivities were already well underway, as nearly all the tables were filled and the bar was crowded with people asking for another round of drinks. Yet despite that, everyone turned as soon as they heard the door open and greeted her with bright smiles and shouts of glee. It felt almost like she had been a part of the town her entire life.

Well, having Alfyn next to her certainly helped.

With the gossip going around town about them both, it was obvious that people were excited to finally meet the dancer. Of course, there was talk about all the members of their group, particularly Olberic because of his stature. But when a woman as attractive and young as Primrose arrived in town holding hands with one of the most well-known members of its community, people were bound to be curious about what was going on.

It took Primrose nearly an entire hour to finish introducing herself to everyone, and similar to when she met Zeph, it was quite the unique experience to finally see the faces of the people she had heard about for the past nine months. Meryl and her father Gilford, Magg the cook, and even the elder Gertas, who wasn't nearly as grouchy as Alfyn made him out to be. Each and every one of them greeted the dancer with a warm smile and a firm handshake, telling her that if she ever needed something from them during her stay, they would be happy to help.

Naturally, many people also asked her about her relationship with Alfyn, which Primrose responded to by making a joke about how she was his _"babysitter"_. Most of the time, it was enough to satisfy their curiosity, but for the people who inquired further, she told them that they were simply fellow travelers who had grown close during their time together. It was an open-ended answer, one that was partially true. Primrose and Alfyn had grown very attached to each other, but their relationship right now was much more than just two people traveling the continent together.

But they didn't need to know that. Like the dancer, they would have to be patient.

Right now, Primrose was sitting at their table with the three other people that she first met before their group had been established: Alfyn, Olberic, and Tressa. The original four were enjoying a few drinks and sharing a nice, hot meal that was on the house. Even though Primrose wasn't usually a fan of sweet liquor like mead, this particular brew was quite delicious. She'd have to watch herself, however, because if she had too much alcohol then she might gain a bit of unwelcome weight.

The dancer sighed. It was hard being beautiful.

"Hey, Alfyn! Can I have some of your mead? Olberic's not letting me have any." Tressa pleaded with puppy-dog eyes. "Puhleeeeeeeze?"

The apothecary frowned. "Sorry Tress, but not this time. If this was any other town, then sure, but I dunno if I feel comfortable lettin' ya drink in my hometown before you're of age."

"Ugh! Well, I guess that's fair. Wouldn't wanna put that on you." Tressa huffed.

"You should be grateful that we let you drink at all in the first place." Olberic claimed, before taking another sip of his drink. "If you were to be caught, then we all would face quite the predicament."

"Eh, you could just have Therion bust me outta jail if that happens. Besides, dontcha think it'd be fun living as fugitives!?" The young merchant exclaimed.

"Well, technically I am a criminal, seeing as I've assassinated someone before. So I guess it wouldn't be much of a difference for me." Primrose mused.

"Shucks, you two are some she-devils, ya know that? Ain't that right, yer Lordship?" Alfyn grinned, lifting his mug towards Olberic. The two men clanked their drinks together and took another swig of their mead, happily enjoying the taste of the sweet liquid.

"Indeed. I can only wonder how you and I have managed to survive as long as we have. I'd say we deserve a reward of some sort." Olberic chuckled deeply.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. So, how 'bout it?" Alfyn said, turning towards Primrose as his grin widened. "You wanna buy the next round of drinks for us?"

The dancer raised an eyebrow in response. "Not particularly. And if anything, it's Tressa and I who should receive compensation. Having to deal with you men is aggravating at best, and dreadful at worst."

The corners of the knight's mouth curved downwards. "Surely I am not included in that mix?"

"I'll give you a pass. The other three, however, I cannot say the same for." The dancer nodded.

"Woah, woah! How'd this go from a friendly chat into a slander session!? I ain't done nothing to deserve this." The apothecary strongly protested.

"Hey, if you give me some mead then I'll come over to your side."

"Shut up, Tress."

The friendly banter continued for a few more moments, only stopping when they each ran out of alcohol. Alfyn and Olberic decided to go for another round, while Primrose elected to stop in hopes of waking up tomorrow with a flat stomach. Olberic waved his mug towards the barkeep, yelling loudly that they needed more drinks. In that moment, the knight heard someone directly behind him asking for the same.

"Can't believe you guys would start without me. Honestly, I feel a little betrayed." Therion smirked, taking a seat in between Tressa and Olberic.

"You can blame Prim for that. She said she wanted to start right away cause she didn't want to have to deal with the two of us drunk at the same time." Alfyn laughed.

"That true, Twinkle Toes?"

"That's right. If you think that I am going to babysit you two similar to how Ophilia always does, then you're sorely mistaken." The dancer declared firmly.

The thief shrugged. "Fair enough, can't blame ya there."

"While on the subject, where is everyone else?" Olberic asked, noticing that Therion had arrived by himself.

"H'aanit decided to give Linde a bath and Cyrus is on bath duty this time, so he stayed behind. Ophilia said she wanted to help, and so here I am. All alone. Still single." Therion joked, placing his elbow on the table casually and resting his cheek on the palm of his hand.

"Well, that might not be the case for much longer. I noticed Cordelia sending some careful glances your way the last time we saw her." Primrose giggled softly.

"Nah, don't even get me started with this, Primrose. As soon as I hand over that last Dragonstone, I'm gone." Therion claimed.

The dancer laughed. "Now that is something I would be willing to put my money on."

"Fine, I'll take you up on that. How many leaves?" The thief challenged, reaching across the table with his hand.

"500 hundred leaves says that you'll settle down with her in the next three years."

"You're on."

The two shook hands to seal the deal, and coincidentally, their drinks arrived at the same time. Therion took his first big gulp of mead, his eyes widening once he realized just how satisfying the beverage was compared to the brews he had tasted before in the past.

"Shit, Alfyn. You weren't kidding about the mead here." The thief grinned happily at the apothecary. "Definitely gonna have a lot of these while we're here."

"Ya know it! Cheers!"

Alfyn, Therion, and Olberic clanked their mugs together once again, while Primrose and Tressa looked at them with friendly smiles. The night was shaping up to be a good one.

"So, what were you two up to all day? Haven't seen you guys since we got here." Therion asked, nudging his head towards Alfyn and Primrose.

"Nothin' much, really. Had lunch with Zeph, and when the girls arrived we played cards for a bit until Lily had to go back home." Alfyn responded. "After that, Zeph had a couple of patients to take care of, so Prim and I went shopping for some new clothes. Then we went for a walk, and well, here we are."

"Ah, are those the new clothes you bought then, Primrose?" Olberic remarked.

"Indeed. I quite like them, and they were fairly cheap too." Primrose smiled happily. "Plus, they make me look like a sweet, innocent girl."

"Yeah, if I didn't know you already I'd think you were the village sweetheart. Not some deadly table dancer from the sandy south." The thief chuckled into his scarf. The dancer chuckled as well, finding the stark comparison amusing.

"It suits you well, surprisingly." Olberic nodded.

"Plus, your hair is sooooo cute! I like my hair short, but sometimes I wish I could style it in different ways like you can." Tressa squealed in excitement.

"Speaking of which, just so you girls know, a lot of Lovely Lace grows around these parts. So I'll have plenty of stock for when you girls need it for your skin and hair from now on." Alfyn announced. Almost instantly both girls shot out of their seats towards him.

"Really!? Aww, hell yeah!" Tressa shouted.

"Ophilia once said that you were sent to us by Aelfric himself, and I agree wholeheartedly. This is the best news I've received in weeks." The dancer gasped gleefully.

"Shucks, you galls really like this stuff, huh?" Alfyn laughed.

"I suppose we three will never understand the woes of being a woman." Olberic mused.

"That's for sure." Therion added, before turning towards Alfyn. "So, what about Zeph? Isn't he coming?"

"Yeah, but he usually comes a bit later, around the time everyone starts gettin' real lively." Alfyn replied. "Which should be any second now."

"Good, I wanted to chat with him more. He seems like a good fellow, and Alfyn has spoken very highly of him." Olberic smiled. "You had the chance to talk with him more than us, Primrose. What was your impression of him?"

"Oh, he's such good company. Imagine Alfyn, except better spoken and with a bit more refinement to his behavior, but not nearly as charming and lively." Primrose responded, before placing a hand on Alfyn's shoulder. "You're both certainly different, but similar in all the right ways."

"Wow, what a raving review. Well, as long as he can drink like Alfyn, then I think we'll get along just fine." Therion smirked playfully.

"Zeph's really good at holding his mead, so don't ya worry 'bout a thing!" Alfyn said proudly, almost as if he was talking about himself.

"Did you get to see him work at all?" Tressa asked the dancer curiously.

"Yes, a little."

"Then just for fun, who would you say is the better apothecary? Alfyn or Zeph?"

"Shucks, now that's somethin' I'd like to hear too! Me and Zeph always were kinda competitive with each other." Alfyn grinned, turning his head to face the dancer. "Last I saw him, I'd say he had a slight edge over me, but a lot can change in nine months. So, whatcha think Prim?"

The dancer met his eyes and gave him a gentle smile. "You understand that there will be an incredible bias to my answer, right? I think it'd be best if someone like the professor were to answer that question. Cyrus is good at being objective."

"That's true, but it'd still be fun to know."

"Hmm…very well then. I think you're slightly better, Alfyn. Zeph is clearly an incredibly gifted apothecary, but I believe the experience that you have gained during your travels puts you slightly ahead of him. It shows in the way you communicate with your patients." Primrose explained, speaking loudly so that everyone at the table could hear.

"Woohoo!" Alfyn exclaimed, pumping both of his fists in the air. "Guess I made the right choice to leave after all!"

"Agreed. I think out of everyone in our group, you've grown the most during our travels." Olberic chimed in as well. "It's between you and our young merchant over here."

Tressa turned to face Alfyn and gave him an easy grin. "You might be ahead right now, Alfyn, but I'm gonna catch up to you one of these days!"

Before Alfyn had a chance to respond, a voice from behind Tressa spoke up suddenly. "I do believe that's my line, Tressa."

Primrose turned her head and smiled as soon as she saw Zeph walking towards them with a mug of mead in each hand. Making eye contact, Alfyn quickly stood up and waved towards him as he made his way to the table. The dancer gave Zeph a small wave as well, happy to see him after going their separate ways earlier in the afternoon.

"Quite the gathering here tonight. I assume the other three chose to stay in for the evening?" Zeph asked Olberic as he took a seat next to him.

"Indeed. I suppose we'll have to drink more to make up for it." The knight grinned, taking a glance at the two mugs that the apothecary had set on the table.

"Well, I'll do my best to live up to those expectations! I'm not the fastest drinker, but I'd say I can hold my liquor fairly well." Zeph laughed loudly, before turning to the rest of the party. "It's good to see you again, Primrose. Therion, Tressa, I hope that you two had a good afternoon. Did you find the inn well?"

"Sure did!"

"Thanks to you. We owe you one, so let me buy you your first mead."

"I'm afraid it's a bit late for that." Zeph chuckled, gesturing to the two drinks in front of him. "Here Alfyn, this one is for you. A toast to brotherhood."

Alfyn grinned widely and raised his new mug towards Zeph. "20 years and counting, and there's many more coming! Cheers!"

The two apothecaries clanked their mugs together and threw their heads back, gulping down their entire drink in one quick chug. Alfyn was the first to finish, and let out a satisfied sigh as he placed the empty mug back down on the table. Zeph finished shortly after and did the same as his younger brother. As soon as he finished, the two raised their hands and shouted for another round, eager to make up for all the lost time from the past several months.

Primrose raised both of her eyebrows. She had never seen Alfyn drink like this before. He wasn't a lightweight by any means, but he certainly wasn't the strongest drinker in their group either. The dancer had out-drank him many times in the past, and quite easily as well. But right now, Alfyn was taking in his mead like it was water, and wasn't showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, he looked even more sober than she was, and she had only gone through three drinks. Either her tolerance was getting weaker, or Alfyn's was getting boosted by some intangible factor.

And it was quite obvious what that was.

"Alfyn, I think having Zeph next to you while drinking helps your tolerance. I don't believe I've seen you take in your alcohol this well before." Primrose said, staring at him in shock.

"Shucks, really? Wouldn't have noticed unless you pointed it out." Alfyn shrugged.

"Funny you say that. I do believe that the same phenomenon applies to me as well." Zeph laughed, turning towards Alfyn. "As soon as you left, I noticed that I started to drink less and less. Perhaps it's the friendly rivalry between us that pushes our tolerance further."

"Yes, I'd say so. I went through a similar experience with Erhardt. He and I used to always compete against one another in the barracks while drinking." Olberic recounted. "After we went our separate ways, I found I could never quite reach the same level as when he and I shared drinks together."

"How peculiar. Though, I suppose it makes some sense." Primrose hummed thoughtfully.

"Hey, Zeph! You mind letting me have some of your mead?" Tressa asked, looking to take advantage of the situation.

"Of course, would you like me to order you one as well?"

"Yeah! That'd be great!"

"You sure 'bout that Zeph? Y'know she's underage, right?" Alfyn questioned.

"It's fine, it's not like we're going to lock up any of you. In fact, you and I drank quite a bit while we were still underage, remember? Clearbrook has never been one to care about little things like that." Zeph lightly chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess…maybe I'm being a bit of a spoilsport here. Alright Tress, you win! But you're payin' me back for it." Alfyn finally relented, looking over at the merchant.

"Sure thing. Thanks, doctor bros!" Tressa exclaimed. She stood up from her seat and walked towards Alfyn to give him the leaves for her drink. Once she did so, Alfyn waved towards the barkeep, shouting over the noisy crowd for another mug of mead.

"You're usually one to not worry very much about us, Alfyn. But when it comes to Tressa, you do tend to be fairly overprotective." Olberic laughed.

Therion smirked. "It's cause he's adopted her as his new little sis."

"Hey, I wouldn't mind being a Greengrass! Why don't we make it official, Alfyn?" Tressa giggled playfully. "Or do you wanna be a Colzione? I'm fine either way."

"Prim and I had a chat about this once actually, and we decided that Alfyn Colzione sounded a lot better than Tressa Greengrass." Alfyn recalled. "Besides, my last name never meant too much to me. I'm the last one with it, after all."

"That reminds me, what is your surname, Zeph?" Primrose asked curiously.

"Gardner. Zeph Gardner. Not the grandest of names, but I find it works well enough for me." Zeph responded with an easy smile. "Actually, it was my mother's family name. My father was the one who chose to change his."

"Ah yes, that's becoming more common nowadays, isn't it?" The dancer nodded.

"I think it depends mostly on the situation. In my father's case, he was a traveler who settled down here after meeting my mother. Her family had been a part of Clearbrook already for generations, and so he felt it was only right to continue their history." Zeph explained, capturing the attention of the entire table.

"How courteous of him. What did he do for a living?" Olberic inquired.

"He was an apothecary, believe it or not. My father was one of the main reasons why Alfyn and I decided to study medicine." Zeph answered, before taking another sip of his drink. "After he died, we felt that it was our responsibility to take his place for the town."

"Continuing your father's legacy…an admirable aspiration." Primrose smiled.

"Thank you. May I ask for your surnames then? I believe I caught Tressa's earlier, but I still don't know the full names for the rest of you." Zeph requested.

Immediately, Primrose and Olberic stiffened in their seats, which caught the apothecary by surprise. Was there some complicated story behind their family names? Given their occupations, it wouldn't be strange if that were the case.

The thief snickered amusingly. "I'm just Therion. The other two though, their names hold a bit more meaning. They usually don't go around announcing it for the whole world to hear."

"O-oh, is that so? Forgive me then for prying." Zeph stuttered, quickly turning towards the dancer and knight.

"No, it's quite alright. You're an honorable and trustworthy man, and it'd be rude of us to withhold." Olberic reassured, shaking his head slowly. "My full name is Olberic Eisenberg. I was once a knight dedicated to the service and protection of King Alfred. You may know me as the Unbending Blade of Hornburg."

Zeph's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open slightly. Before he had a chance to respond, he felt Alfyn tap his shoulder next to him.

"Wait, there's more." He said casually, before gesturing towards Primrose next to him.

The dancer gave Zeph a small smile before placing her hand over her heart and opening her mouth to speak. "My name is Primrose Azelhart. Highborn daughter of the late lord Geoffrey and his wife Dahlia. Although lost, I am the current heir of the noble House Azelhart. I am sure that…you are quite familiar with those names."

Zeph's jaw dropped completely. He sat completely still for a few seconds before turning back towards Alfyn with baffled eyes. The apothecary merely laughed in response and nodded slowly, confirming what they had just said. Zeph glanced back and forth between Olberic and Primrose, still in complete shock over what he had just heard. He closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths to recompose himself, and let out a gentle laugh after a few moments.

"Well, I'm sure that my reaction says it all. It seems that I am in some very special company." Zeph smiled genuinely. "Of course, I'd love to hear each of your stories, but that can wait for another time. I'm sure you are all tired and hoping to use the evening to unwind. So tonight, we simply enjoy ourselves."

Olberic grinned, lifting his mug off the table. "Well said, Master Ze—"

Before the knight could finish his sentence, the table behind them erupted in a frenzy, which made the whole group turn around to see what was going on. A young man and woman had stood up from their seats and started to dance with each other, holding hands and prancing around the open floor like a gazelle. Instantly, the musicians began to play their instruments much louder, which brought out boisterous cheers from everyone in the tavern.

Another man and woman directly next to the party's table also stood up, quickly joined hands, and danced their way towards the other pair. They were immediately followed by two more pairs, one consisting of two men and another of two women. The four groups of two began to dance around each other in a circle, and eventually, they all settled into a comfortable pace. As time went on, the spectators became more and more lively, clapping their hands together and tapping their boots on the floor to the rhythm of the music.

Primrose felt her heartbeat start to accelerate.

Dancing had always been a way for her to loosen up and forget about the troubles of her day. At the same time, however, her usual performances were fairly difficult and taxing on her body. Additionally, they were done with the intention of pleasing the spectator, which made the performance much more susceptible to criticism. At its core, it was showmanship. That was the category of dance she had learned and practiced for nearly two decades.

And Primrose was perfectly fine with that harsh reality, as it was what had pushed her talents this far. It was the type of dancing that she had grown up with, the type that she had fallen in love with, and the type that had brought her solace after her father's death. She wouldn't be the dancer she was today without it.

This type of dancing in front of her was completely different, yet it excited her to no end. It was liberating, joyous, and festive, much more similar to performances from musicals rather than from theater. It certainly wasn't anything artistically impressive, but that wasn't what it was meant for. Alfyn had said it best, it was dancing for the sake of personal enjoyment, rather than for show. Primrose found herself craving it. She wanted to get out there, to know what it felt like to let everything go and dance without worry.

And partially because she wanted to show off a little bit as well, but she'd keep that to herself.

"It seems that the night has officially started." Zeph smiled, before looking across the table at Tressa. "Would you care to share a dance, Tressa? Of course, only if you're up to it."

"Wow, really?! That sounds like a lotta fun!" The young merchant replied. "Are you sure though? I'll admit…I'm not much of a dancer."

The apothecary laughed. "Then I'll take it easy with you. Don't worry, you'll find yourself getting used to it in no time." Standing up from his seat, he made his way over to Tressa and extended a hand out to her. "Shall we?"

"Hehe. Sure thing!"

Hand-in-hand, Zeph and Tressa made their way to the dance floor, pushing through the crowd of people on their way there. As soon as they broke through, the apothecary clasped the merchant's hand and began to slowly spin and hop around in place so that she could get her bearings. It wasn't long until the two of them were skipping around with the other pairs, laughing and cheering merrily with the raucous crowd. Alfyn watched the whole thing with a half-smile on his face, happy that Tressa was enjoying herself.

"Shucks, he stole my little sister away." Alfyn said playfully while shaking his head. "Though, I guess technically she's his sister too, so I'll let it slide."

"Aw, just look at her Alfyn! She's having such a good time." Primrose giggled softly.

"Haha, she's a natural!" Alfyn grinned, before turning towards the dancer next to him. "Alrighty then! Shall we?"

"Huh?"

"I'm sayin' that it's our turn. Can't let Zeph show off all on his own, now can I?" Alfyn chuckled, offering his hand to her with a teasing smile. "Here, I'll make it easy for you. Brush the loose strand of your hair away, take my hand, and let me lead you to the floor so that we dance."

Hearing him repeat her words from earlier brought out a bright laugh from the dancer. "Honestly, Alfyn. You are such a dork sometimes."

"Again, I'll take that as a compliment. So…?"

The dancer let out a light chuckle before putting on a confident smirk. "Very well then, I'll give you the honor of sharing a dance with me, Alfyn. But fair warning, you'd better be able to keep up. I have a reputation to uphold, after all."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Alfyn laughed happily. "Besides, this is my turf, princess. I'm more worried about you here."

"Oh? Is that a challenge?"

"Whoever trips first loses. Deal?"

The dancer merely raised an eyebrow in response. Once she saw that the apothecary was being serious, she stood up from her seat and took his hand. Alfyn stared at her with a loving smile for a brief moment, before putting on a more confident expression as he led her towards the dance floor. Ready to make him eat his words, Primrose stepped ahead of him slightly as they got closer to the open space, giving Alfyn's hand a firm squeeze to make sure they didn't lose each other. Once they broke through the wall of people surrounding the other dancers, she turned around slowly and placed a single finger gently against her lips.

"It's a deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hello! Thank you all for reading this far! As I mentioned before, this update was going to take a little longer because of the sheer size of it. Still, I wanted to get it out as fast as possible, so here it is! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I put a lot of effort into it.
> 
> The long awaited Clearbrook chapter is finally here! Well, at least the first part is. I didn't want to release an update that was 30,000 words, as that would be triple the size of my previous longest chapter. So I'm splitting it into two. As you would expect, this part of the story is the end of Act II, and I'm sure you know why. That's all I'll say on the matter until next time.
> 
> So, about the update schedule. Once again, the next chapter is going to be quite a long one. That being said, it's going to take me around the same amount of time as this one, if not more. Things are starting to pick up on the job hunt for me, and most of my attention needs to go to that right now. I hope you all understand, and thank you for being patient.
> 
> I hope to see you guys again soon! Have a good one, and stay healthy.


	10. Love II

Alfyn's eyes fluttered open to the sound of birds chirping outside and the soft breeze passing through the trees.

The apothecary groaned and closed his eyes for a few more seconds, trying to go back to sleep before his brain caught up with the rest of his body. Unfortunately, he was a bit too late. His head was up and running, which meant it was time to start the day. Alfyn sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes and letting out a deep yawn. Based on how sleep-deprived he was, he had most likely gone to bed last night at quite an unreasonable time. Alfyn tried to recount his memories for the previous night, but all that flashed in his mind were blurred images of his tankard filled with mead.

"Man, I really gotta stop drinking on the first day in town…" Alfyn thought internally.

After taking a few more seconds to wake up, Alfyn looked towards his front door to see how much light was shining through the cracks. The glow was faint, barely bright enough for his tired eyes to see against the shadow of his walls. Warm and dim light meant that it was still very early on in the day, a bit too early for the young man's liking. Alfyn was usually an early riser, but not this time. After nine long months of sleeping outside in the wilderness or on low-quality inn mattresses, he had finally gotten the chance to sleep in the comfort of his own bed and home. Having that cut short was nothing short of cruelty.

That being said, he had slept extremely well. Alfyn couldn't remember the last time he had been able to just lay down and fall asleep so easily. The last time had probably been the one night he had stayed at the Ravus Manor. Now that had been quite a treat. Alfyn wasn't one who craved a life of luxury, but after that night he definitely saw the appeal of it. It was certainly better than sleeping on top of hard soil and itchy grass, that was for sure.

Alfyn raised his arms above his head and stretched them out as far as he could while letting out a satisfied groan. Shaking his head lightly, the apothecary pushed away his covers and tried to get out of bed.

Then he felt his leg brush up against something. Something warm.

Alfyn looked down next to him, only to find Primrose curled up underneath his sheets beside him. The dancer was still asleep, her chest rising slowly with each soft breath that brushed through her lips.

Alfyn blinked.

Huh.

He had woken up next to her like this several times before, but this was the first time that he didn't remember actually going to sleep with her. Well, they did both drink quite a lot last night, and fairly quickly as well. He wouldn't be surprised if Primrose didn't remember what had happened last night either. As soon as he realized that, a terrifying thought passed through his head.

They hadn't…gotten busy last night, had they?

Alfyn immediately threw the covers off of Primrose as fast as he could, his eyes wide with both fear and uncertainty. The first thing he saw was her hair completely disheveled, and for a second he felt his heart plummet in his chest. As soon as he saw her fully clothed in the same clothes she was wearing yesterday, the apothecary let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Thank the gods.

The apothecary couldn't even begin to imagine what he would have done if it had been the worst-case scenario. Now he knew for sure that he had to stop drinking so intensely, because Alfyn wasn't going to risk this type of situation ever again. He needed to be in the right state of mind if he was going to be sleeping alongside a woman as attractive as Primrose.

The woman he had feelings for.

Alfyn looked back down at the dancer. Right, things were a bit different between them now. How long had it been since the two of them had started playing tiptoe around each other? A month? No, it bit more than that. They had arrived in S'warkii a month and a half ago, and that was where it had all started. Either way, it wasn't like it mattered that much. After all, he was planning on telling her his true feelings today.

It was a long time coming. The apothecary had fallen for the dancer a long time ago, and had kept his feelings in for all of this time as best as he could. Alfyn couldn't quite remember when they had started, but he did remember the exact moment when it finally registered in his head. It was during their first stay in Rippletide, the night when he found the dancer sitting on the docks, feeling alone and depressed because of something that he still didn't know to this day. He remembered sitting next to her, chatting away for hours and hours on end while staring out into the open ocean.

He remembered how he took a look at her once, and was left breathless after seeing how gorgeous she was under the moonlight glow.

That was when Alfyn knew, and also when he decided that he wasn't going to ever act on his feelings towards her. There were many reasons for that. At the time, he thought that they wouldn't be traveling together for much longer, seeing as they had planned on going separate ways after their time in Atlasdam. Then obviously there was her path of revenge against the three crows. The apothecary was a bumbling idiot when it came to romance, but even he knew that having a lover would be an unneeded distraction for Primrose on her quest.

Also, she was completely out of his league. There was no way he ever had a chance.

But then they kept traveling together, and his affections for the dancer slowly began to grow stronger and stronger with each passing day. It became really hard to hide, and eventually, he started to think that maybe he should accept his feelings rather than suppress them. He wasn't sure if Primrose had noticed, but if she had, she didn't seem to mind. In fact, sometimes Alfyn thought she might even be reciprocating his feelings. The moment they had shared out on the balcony during the winter solstice…it became clear to him that they were special to each other.

Then they woke up next to each other one morning, and the rest was history. Alfyn knew his feelings for her, and he was pretty sure he knew what she felt towards him.

_"So when are you going to do it?"_

That was the question that Therion kept nagging him about. He was the only one Alfyn had told out of the entire group, but it wasn't like the apothecary and the dancer kept it secret. Every time the two of them had some sort of affectionate exchange, the curious eyes from their companions were always there. Well, they wouldn't have to wait much longer. He had pulled Therion away for a few moments at the tavern yesterday, right as they had gone up to the bar to get more drinks.

_"Tomorrow."_

And now, tomorrow was here.

"Heya, Prim?" Alfyn whispered softly, placing a hand on the dancer and shaking her gently. "You awake?"

"…"

"Haha. Yeah, that's a no." Alfyn chuckled underneath his breath. The apothecary tried once more, this time shaking her a bit harder. "Prim, hey. Wake up."

This time the dancer stirred slightly beneath the covers, but still didn't say a word.

Alfyn sighed. "Prim, if you're still awake can I least have some more of the covers back? The fire's out so it's a bit chilly."

Again, no response. However, this time the brunette's light breathing came to a sudden stop.

"Okay, now I know you're awake. If you were still asleep you woulda kept breathin' normally." The apothecary frowned. "C'mon Prim. We gotta get up so we can go fishing."

"Fuck you."

"Wow, you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Go away."

"Huh? Y'know this is my house right?"

"I hate you."

"Shucks, that's not very nice, Prim."

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not very nice, Alfyn." Primrose muttered into her pillow. "Now shut up and leave me in peace."

Alfyn sighed again, this time a little bit deeper. "Look, I know you don't like waking up early, but this time of day is when the fish are out. So if you wanna—"

"I don't want to. What I want to do is sleep. Goodnight, Alfyn." Primrose responded, turning around and facing away from the apothecary.

"Wait, so you don't want me to teach you fishing anymore…?" Alfyn whispered somberly, looking down in disappointment.

The dancer moaned and turned back around, propping herself up on her elbow. "No, Alfyn, that's not what I meant. Of course I do, but not right now."

"But…"

"Alright, listen. Did I ever say I wanted to catch a large number of fish?" Primrose asked in the nicest tone she could muster.

The apothecary thought about it for a few moments before slowly shaking his head.

"Then we don't need to go right now, do we?" The dancer reasoned. "Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to it just as much as you are. But all I've ever wanted out of this is to spend time with you and learn about the hobby you love so much. That's it. So don't worry about making it special."

"You sure…?" Alfyn asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I'm sure. Now please, let's go back to bed. It's far too early for me to even think about functioning." Primrose nodded before burying her face into her pillow once again. "I'll give you back your side of covers as well."

"Ah, thanks."

The apothecary laid back down and brought the covers over himself, letting out a content sigh as the warmth started to spread across his body. Alfyn wasn't sure if he was going to be able to go back to sleep, seeing as he usually got hungry just a few minutes after waking up. At the very least, he could last long enough until Primrose fell back asleep. Then he'd get up and start cooking breakfast. Actually, maybe it'd be better to head to the inn for his morning meal and see if any of his friends were up. He hadn't seen Ophilia, H'annit, and Cyrus in nearly an entire day, after all.

Right now though, he was going to enjoy what little more rest his stomach would let him have. Looking back over at the dancer, the apothecary realized that she was still trying to fall back asleep. Feeling a bit bad about waking her up, Alfyn moved up closer and wrapped his arms around her. He brought Primrose in close, spooning her gently and settling his head right next to hers. He felt her hair tickle his nose slightly as she adjusted herself, wiggling around until she was comfortable against him.

"Sorry 'bout waking ya up." Alfyn murmured as he closed his eyes. He could already feel the drowsiness beginning to creep itself back in.

Primrose shook her head against her pillow. "It's alright. Any other morning, and I'd be fine with it. We should have taken it lightly at the tavern last night."

"Well, I'm to blame for that too. Me and Zeph really went in on the mead after the dancin' started." Alfyn replied. "You feelin' it too?"

"Yes, sadly. My head is aching quite a bit." The dancer chuckled miserably.

The apothecary nodded. "I'll whip us up a hangover tonic while I'm making breakfast. It'll clear your head up in a jiffy."

"Much appreciated."

"Leave it to me."

The two settled into a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's comfort while underneath the covers. As time went on Alfyn found his eyes feeling heavier and heavier, the warmth from the dancer slowly drawing him into a deep slumber. At the same time, however, his hunger only grew more intense with each passing second. He wasn't going to be able to comfortably stay like this for much longer. Thankfully, after waiting for a few more minutes, Alfyn felt Primrose's soft breathing against his chest.

"Finally…" Alfyn whispered.

Unfortunately, as he was getting out of bed, he felt a slight tug on his arm. The apothecary turned around to find Primrose barely holding onto his sleeve, staring up at him with half-asleep eyes.

"Where are you going?" The dancer asked, letting her hand drop back down on the bed lifelessly.

Alfyn smiled. "Gonna make breakfast. You get some rest. I'll have everything ready when you wake up."

"Stay." Primrose murmured, beckoning him to come closer.

"I'd love to, Prim. But I'm really hungry." Alfyn laughed softly.

"Stay. Please?"

"Shucks, Prim. Don't look at me like that." Alfyn complained, shaking his head slowly. "And here I thought Tress had a deadly set of puppy-dog eyes, but yours are worse than hers and then some."

The dancer smiled as innocently as he could. "Stay, Alfyn. Just a few more minutes?"

The apothecary stared down at Primrose for a few moments, trying his hardest not to give in to her and listen to his stomach instead. Despite summoning all of his willpower to resist her, Alfyn gave in and climbed back into the bed with a heavy sigh. The dancer snuggled up close against him once again, this time facing towards him.

As soon as they got comfortable, however, a loud groan escaped from the apothecary's stomach, echoing loudly across the room. Alfyn blushed slightly red, embarrassed that his overly large appetite was causing him problems yet again.

"Sorry…" Alfyn grumbled sheepishly, refusing to meet the dancer's eyes.

Primrose burst into a fit of giggles, covering her mouth in hopes of controlling them. "No, I'm the one who should be apologizing. Go get something to eat, I'll join you in a bit."

"Nah, it's fine. I'm here now, so I might as well enjoy it." Alfyn quickly responded.

"Are you sure?"

"We'll find out in a couple of minutes."

"How generous. That's just one of the many things that I love about you." The dancer laughed.

"Yeah? Well, your persuasiveness is one of the things I don't love so much about you. Drives me nuts sometimes." The apothecary muttered. "When you use it on other people? It's great. On me? Not so much."

"Oh, come now. You know you love me just the way I am." Primrose teased playfully.

"Sure."

"Don't be so mean. Then, what are some things you do love about me?" The dancer frowned, looking up to meet Alfyn's eyes.

He raised an eyebrow in response. "Y'know, you seem awfully awake right now. Maybe I should go then."

"Ah-ah mister. You said a couple of minutes, and I'm going to get my fill." Primrose said while shaking her head. "And don't dodge the question."

"Well, for starters, I love how much you understand me. For example, you know better than anyone just how hungry I can get and how much it sucks." Alfyn answered sarcastically.

Primrose huffed. "You're insufferable."

"Shucks, Prim. You know you love me just the way I am." Alfyn smirked.

"Alright, that's enough. I'm sick and tired of hearing you send my own words back to me and thinking that it's witty." The dancer pouted, turning away from Alfyn and taking all the covers with her.

"Hey, I learned all of my wordplay from you, so if you're gonna be mad at someone, blame yourself." Alfyn chuckled, bringing her back into his arms and grabbing as much of the covers as he could. "Now let's get some rest before my stomach decides to announce itself again."

Even if he couldn't see her face, Alfyn knew that Primrose was rolling her eyes, as she always did in response to his antics. He was just thankful that he'd managed to avoid one of her infamous pinches. The apothecary was certainly not a fan of those.

As the two made themselves comfortable once again, Alfyn thought back to the dancer's previous question. The one that he had purposefully avoided using what little wit and charm that he had learned from Primrose over the past nine months. He had done so out of the fear of telling her his honest answer, an answer that would have betrayed his true emotions.

_"What are the things you love about me?"_

The answer was clear.

"Everything, Prim."

*

It was a warm and beautiful day in Clearbrook, as it always was.

Alfyn had forgotten just how nice the weather was in his hometown after being away for almost a year. It was neither overly hot nor cold, and for the most part the sky was usually just as clear as the river's water. The rural town got just enough rain to keep the plants and trees healthy throughout the year, and nasty weather like thunderstorms or blizzards were rare enough to the point that the townsfolk didn't have to worry about them during the wintertime. The only major complaint that Alfyn could think of was that sometimes it could get really humid during the summer, but whenever that was the case it could be dealt with by simply taking a dip in the river.

After experiencing how harsh the summertime was in the Sunlands and how bleak the wintertime was in the Frostlands, Alfyn was grateful that he had grown up in a town with such good weather. In fact, after traveling throughout the continent, the only other regions that the apothecary liked apart from the Riverlands were the Coastlands and the Flatlands. He was fond of the Coastlands because of how great the time he spent there had been, and even though he had barely spent any time in the Flatlands, Alfyn liked the region because the calming wind and grassy pastures reminded him of home.

Every other region had some sort of major flaw. The Sunlands were scorching hot and dry, and for the most part were an absolutely horrible area to live in. The Highlands weren't too bad, but the lack of air made it difficult for those who hadn't grown up in the region to breathe comfortably. The Frostlands weren't as awful as Primrose made them out to be, but on certain days the frigid weather and snow could really get on your nerves sometimes. The Woodlands were actually quite nice, but there were always a ton of bugs lying in wait around every corner. Finally, the Cliftlands were simply a bit too dangerous for the apothecary's liking. One wrong step could result in serious injury, and sometimes, instant death if the fall was too high.

Yeah, Alfyn belonged in the Riverlands. People could call him a home bird all they wanted; it didn't matter. This was his home. He liked it here.

And apparently, Primrose did as well. Ever since they had arrived yesterday morning, the dancer had been in a noticeably good mood. Alfyn knew that she had been looking forward to visiting his hometown for a long time, but he hadn't expected her to be this excited. Hell, he had even caught her humming to herself while doing the dishes this morning. Now that was something else. Alfyn had been so surprised by it that he pointed it out to her, asking why she was in such a pleasant mood despite having a nasty hangover.

_"I slept well."_

That was all she said on the subject, but the tiny smile on her lips said it was something more than that. That being said, Alfyn didn't push it any further. He was just relieved to see that she was happy, especially after he had woken her up so early. Usually, the dancer misbehaved quite a bit if she was forced awake before the sun was up. He was lucky to have gotten away with it this time.

Well, mostly lucky. The heart attack from earlier this morning had shaved a few years of his life span.

They had left Alfyn's house around an hour ago after enjoying what had been a small yet tasty breakfast of scrambled eggs with buttered toast and jam. Before the two of them made their way to the river to start fishing, they had to make a few stops. First was the local shop, to buy the supplies they needed for their fishing trip. Alfyn bought a small pouch of sweet corn to use as bait, a couple of new hooks to replace his old, rusted ones, and some fishing line in case he ran out. Seeing as she probably wouldn't fish again after this morning, Primrose had opted to borrow Zeph's equipment for their trip, and so she simply waited for Alfyn to finish getting what he needed.

Next, they made a quick stop at the inn to see how the rest of their companions were doing. Cyrus and Ophilia were the only ones they found in the lobby, each of them peacefully reading a book near the fireplace. Unsurprisingly, Therion, Tressa, and Olberic were still in their rooms, likely feeling the full effects of last night's drinking. H'aanit had taken Linde out for a trek through the forest, eager to explore the new region and its wildlife. Alfyn invited the scholar and cleric to come along, but ultimately they decided to stay at the inn.

That was fine. It was probably better for the two pairs to stay separate anyway. At least, if any progress was to be made.

After that, Alfyn and Primrose finally made their way over to the river and started to set things up. Once everything was ready, the apothecary began teaching the dancer on how to fish correctly, walking her through every step carefully so that she wouldn't accidentally injure herself. Primrose listened to him intently the entire time, wanting to make sure she didn't miss anything. While this was definitely more of a casual outing, it seemed she still wanted to learn as much as she could, which Alfyn appreciated.

Right now, the two were sitting on a grassy patch on the edge of the river, each of them holding a wooden fishing rod in their hands. Primrose had gotten the hang of casting surprisingly quick, and after practicing for around a quarter-hour she was casting her line into the river right alongside him. Obviously she wasn't getting any bites, but if she kept at it, it wouldn't be long until the dancer would snag her first catch. She attributed it to Alfyn's good teaching, but he knew she was just trying to be humble.

Add _"being good at fishing"_ to the ever-increasing list of the many reasons why he loved her.

As they sat next to each other waiting for the first bite, Alfyn could almost feel the curious gazes from all of the townsfolk around them. They were trying their best to stay discreet, but the apothecary knew better than anyone that people from Clearbrook weren't exactly the most inconspicuous folks out there.

The source? Himself.

"It seems that there are many prying eyes on us this morning." Primrose chuckled softly, turning her head slightly towards Alfyn.

The apothecary merely nodded in response. "Shucks, you can say that again."

Out of the corner of his eyes, Alfyn took another look behind him at the bridge. Sure enough, there were two or three people who were staring at them, completely unaware that they had been noticed. Even though he couldn't quite make out their faces, Alfyn knew his neighbors well, and based on the clothing they were wearing he knew exactly who they were. Most of them were his childhood friends, the people he had grown up with and been around him his entire life.

Honestly, who could blame them? If one of his closest friends had randomly come back to town after nine months escorting a tall, young, emerald-eyed beauty like Primrose, then he would be acting the same way. The dancer had told him over breakfast this morning that she had resolved most of the rumors last night at the tavern, but he was sure that most of them still wanted to hear from Alfyn as well.

Primrose probably did too. Shucks, she was probably the one who wanted to know what was going on between them the most.

Just a little longer. By this time tomorrow morning, she would know. And he would have her answer. All Alfyn could do at this point was to try to control the butterflies in his stomach as best as he could and rehearse what he was going to say repeatedly in his head.

Goddamn it. Being in love was hard.

"Heya, Prim. I wanted to ask ya, did you like the dancin' last night?" Alfyn asked, leaning back on his hands casually. "I know it's different from what you usually do, but I think it's pretty fun."

"Yes, I did. I enjoyed it a great deal. Even if it did take me some time to get used to it." Primrose responded. "And despite that, you still managed to trip over yourself before I did."

"Hey! I wouldn't have if I hadn't been all tipsy." Alfyn frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "I can't believe I challenged you of all people to a dancin' contest. What the hell was I thinking?"

"Indeed. It might have been my first time going through that particular style, but I have been dancing since I could walk. It was quite a foolish wager." The dancer grinned playfully.

The apothecary chuckled. "Yeah, by the end of the night you were the best dancer in the tavern, and we've all been prancin' around like that for years."

"Well, it wasn't anything that I hadn't seen before. Your sort of dancing is often seen in musicals and festivals." Primrose explained. "All I had to do was adjust."

Alfyn raised both of his eyebrows. "Huh, never knew 'bout that. Then what's the type of dancin' that you normally do used in?"

"Hmm. In the theater mostly, and sometimes opera. Of course, it's also a necessary skill to have if one is going to be involved with the aristocracy." The dancer hummed nonchalantly, resting her chin on the palm of her hand.

"Yeah, most of you upper-class folks really like to get into the fine arts. I guess for you, it ended up being dancing." The apothecary nodded in response.

"I suppose, but I also studied many of the other fine arts as well. My father made sure that I was educated in most of them." Primrose revealed. "I am fairly well-versed in poetry, music, painting, and theatre. I learned a bit of architecture as well."

"Wait, hold up! Can you sing!?"

"Yes, and quite well if I might add."

"Shucks, that's amazing, Prim! Why didn't you say anything about this till now?" Alfyn exclaimed, leaning forwards in excitement.

The dancer shrugged. "I never thought it was important enough to share. What value would my singing talents bring to our group?"

"Well, I'm sure Phili would be beside herself if you told her. She's always singin' before prayer time and stuff." Alfyn remarked, pointing his thumb back towards the inn. "Like when we saw her this mornin'."

"Ophilia is a much more gifted singer than I am. I am sure that she is better off on her own, given how lovely her voice is." Primrose replied, shaking her head delicately.

"Yeah. Guess that's what you call talent, huh?" The apothecary smiled.

"Talent and hard work. I'm certain that she's put in many hours of practice into her craft. Just as I did so when I was young so I could please my father." Primrose clarified, staring at the running water thoughtfully. "His expectations for me were very high. He raised me with love and care, yes, but also with sternness and austerity."

Alfyn listened intently, waiting for her to finish before opening his mouth to speak again. "Shucks, growing up as a part of the nobility must've been hard on you, huh?"

"Yes, it was. On certain days it felt overwhelming. However, I have never once held that against my father." Primrose stated firmly. "As his one and only daughter and the heir to House Azelhart, he had no choice but to teach me about the principles of being a noble."

"Yeah, the person you are today is because of him, right?" Alfyn remarked.

"Certainly. All of my strength, endurance, tenacity, confidence…I owe it all to my him. I am thankful for what he did for me." The dancer smiled sadly, as the memories of her father flashed inside her head.

The apothecary responded with a small smile of his own. "Yeah, I know. I'm thankful to him too." Alfyn stretched out his arms above his head and let out a deep sigh. "Man, what I would give to get a chance to meet him."

Primrose perked up immediately, turning to face Alfyn with a single eyebrow raised. "Oh? Why is that?"

"I don't know, really. You don't talk about him all too much, but every time you do I always get that thought in my head." Alfyn shrugged. "Maybe it's cause I think we'd hit it off pretty well. Woulda loved to share a couple rounds of mead with him."

"You believe that you and my father would be close enough to… share a drink together?" Primrose asked slowly.

"Yup."

The dancer stared at Alfyn for a few moments, letting what she had just heard register in her mind. As soon as it did, Primrose exploded into a fit of laughter, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to calm herself down. She was unsuccessful, as the flashing image of her father and Alfyn drinking together in a tavern only made her laugh even harder, almost to the point of falling onto the ground.

"H-hey! You don't think your dad and I woulda been good pals?" Alfyn frowned, staring down at the dancer and crossing his arms.

"No, no! Oh, goodness! Forgive me, Alfyn. Please give me a few more moments." Primrose laughed brightly, her shoulders shaking delicately as her laughter began to die down.

The apothecary huffed and turned away from the dancer emphatically. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I don't see what's so funny about it."

Once she was calm, Primrose turned towards Alfyn with an endearing smile. "I'm sorry, Alfyn. The thought of you and my father sitting down at a tavern together was a bit too amusing."

"Shucks, is it that hard to believe?"

"Just a little."

Alfyn sighed. "Well, maybe you're right. Someone like your old man would probably never talk to a country bumpkin like me."

"Alfyn, no. That's not at all what I meant." The dancer chuckled, shaking her head slowly. "I was laughing because the thought of how my father would act if he was intoxicated was far too ridiculous for me to handle."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess that would be kinda weird, huh?" Alfyn laughed.

"Indeed. I can't even begin to imagine what he would be like." Primrose giggled, before moving in closer and leaning her head on Alfyn's shoulder. "And for the record, I honestly believe that you and my father would have gotten along with each other very well."

"Aw, shucks. You don't have to flatter me, Prim." Alfyn chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "You know that my behind gets all itchy if you start praisin' me like that."

"Well, I'm simply speaking the truth. My father might have been a part of the nobility, but he never discriminated based on one's social standing. He treated everyone equally, with respect and sincerity." Primrose stated firmly. "You are a great man, Alfyn. I have no doubt in my mind that he would have been more than pleased to meet one such as yourself."

"Gosh, you really think so?"

"I do. He would have taken great pride in you."

Alfyn looked hopefully into the dancer's eyes, losing himself for just a moment in the beautiful shine of her bright emerald orbs. Primrose looked up at him curiously, her lips curling into a small smile as she felt his fingers carefully lace themselves through hers. Alfyn felt his heartbeat start to accelerate, and the butterflies in his stomach that he thought he had been able to suppress came back in full force.

The apothecary sighed.

Yeah. Being in love was really hard.

*

"Primrose! Could you please bring me some straw from my house? I need it to rouse the fire."

"Of course, Zeph. I'll be right back."

The dancer stood up from her spot on the grass next to the river and turned around towards Zeph's cottage. She took a few steps before looking over her shoulder, giggling lightly at the sight of Alfyn tossing Tressa off his shoulder into the water. The young girl laughed breathlessly as she came back up, shaking her head aggressively to take the water out of her hair. Alfyn did the same, as the large splash Tressa had made had left his hair drenched as well.

After waiting a few seconds to get her breath back, the young merchant yelled at Olberic to come towards her, most likely because she wanted to see how far he could toss her. The knight turned towards her and nodded, the corners of his mouth curling upwards into a small smile as he made his way towards her. Knowing Alfyn and Olberic, it wouldn't be long until two men started competing to see who could throw Tressa the farthest.

Before taking her leave, Primrose called out to Ophilia to tell her that she was going to get something for the fire. The cleric nodded, smiling gently at the dancer the same way a mother would look at her child.

Primrose felt her heart skip a beat. Ophilia's maternal nature was a bit too potent sometimes.

The dancer made it to the cottage and reached for the front door, not realizing that the door had been left unlocked until after she had stepped inside. Primrose chuckled lightly, shaking her head at the realization. She knew that Clearbrook was likely the safest and most carefree place on the continent, but this was going a bit overboard. What sort of people willing left their doors unlocked, especially when they weren't present?

A master thief such as Therion would have a field day in a town like this.

Primrose looked around for the straw for a few moments, before spotting a few bundles tucked away in a corner next to the fireplace and the cooking area. She made her way over and picked up a handful, just enough to keep the fire burning long enough for the cooking to be finished. Knowing that Alfyn was probably going to get hungry before everything was ready, she snagged an apple from underneath the kitchen table as well.

As she was making her way out, the dancer noticed a few peculiar papers sitting on top of the dinner table. She made her way over, raising both of her eyebrows upon seeing what they were. There were two letters, each of them in vastly different conditions. One of the letters was folded up perfectly and ready to be sent to someone at any given moment. The other was crumpled up and looked as if it was about to be used to light a fire. At first glance, it was easy to assume that the first letter was the final copy and that the other was simply a previous draft.

However, Primrose couldn't help but feel that wasn't the case. As she examined the two letters further, it was clear that a few things were off. The second letter was far too scrunched up to have been done so casually, and the fact that it hadn't been disposed of yet was a bit strange as well.

There was something else going on here.

That being said, the dancer had no right to look into it further. Zeph, or whoever had written these letters, probably wouldn't appreciate someone going through their private writings. The right thing to do in this situation was to ignore the letters, exit the cottage, and return to the river with the straw in hand. After all, curiosity killed the cat…

…But satisfaction brought it back. Besides, when had Primrose ever been one to do the "right" thing?

The dancer picked up the crumpled paper off of the table and opened it up, eager to see its contents. At first, she held it upside down, and so the first thing she saw was that the letter indeed belonged to Zeph. Out of respect for the apothecary, the dancer decided not to read the entire letter. After all, the only thing she was interested in was who the letter had been addressed to. Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Primrose turned the paper so that it was right-side-up and read the first line.

_"My dear Mercedes…"_

Almost instantly her lips curled into a tiny smile.

Oh, so Zeph had himself a sweetheart somewhere out there? Now that was wonderful news to hear. Primrose had been confused about why a young man as kind, talented, and handsome as Zeph wasn't getting any special attention from the ladies in Clearbrook. Everything made much more sense now that she knew that he was off the market. With that said, why hadn't Alfyn mentioned this to her before? He knew that the dancer loved to talk about these sorts of romantic affairs.

"Mercedes. Hmm…why does that name sound familiar?" Primrose mused internally, looking over the mystery letter one last time. "Wait a second…could it be!?"

The librarian from the Atlasdam academy! Her name was Mercedes as well, wasn't it? Considering how unique the name was, there was a strong chance that she and the woman from Zeph's letter were the same person. Of course, there was also a good chance that she wasn't. Going from Clearbrook all the way to Atlasdam was something you didn't see very often, if at all. Nevertheless, Primrose needed to know more. She'd ask Alfyn the first chance she could get.

The dancer put the letter back onto the table in the same spot that it had been in before and picked up the other one at the same time. She was less curious about this one, seeing as it looked like any normal letter. Still, why stop now? Primrose was already breaking the rules, so she might as well go all the way. That was just one of the many lessons that she had learned during her time living in Sunshade.

Primrose unfolded the letter carefully, making sure not to accidentally wrinkle or crease it in any way. This time she opened it correctly, and the first thing she saw was the person who the letter was meant for. Surprisingly, it was someone who she was very well-acquainted with.

_"To my dear friend Alfyn…"_

This time, Primrose immediately put the letter down, but not before perfectly refolding it the same way it had been in before. Once everything was back in place, she turned around hastily and quickly made her way towards the front door. As soon as the dancer stepped outside, she took in a long breath of fresh air and let it out slowly before making her way back towards the river.

That was close. She had almost let herself get a bit too carried away. Sure, a little snooping around didn't hurt anybody. But that particular letter deserved to be treated with the utmost respect. Primrose hadn't read a single word aside from the first line, but she knew exactly what type of letter it was supposed to be. It was a message, one that the dancer could never hope to understand, even if she read the letter a hundred times over.

Because that message was meant to be read by one person, and one person only.

*

Alfyn really liked Therion. They had been traveling together for a very long time now, and even though they had their squabbles, the two young men got along like they had known each other since early childhood. Shucks, some people might even consider them to be best friends.

But there was no chance in hell he was going to let him get away with stealing his favorite food from right in front of him.

"Therion! Came back here you little shrimp!" Alfyn yelled fiercely, chasing the thief around the edge of the river.

"Screw you! You're hogging everything for yourself you oversized donkey! Some of us have to eat too, y'know!" The thief shouted back, stuffing his mouth with Alfyn's food.

The apothecary chased Therion around the river for much longer than he should have. If he were smart he would have stopped after a few minutes, realize that it was hopeless to try and catch a master thief, and simply go cook some more food. Unfortunately, Alfyn wasn't exactly the smartest cookie in the jar when it came to anything other than medicine. So he ran after Therion until he was out of breath, frowning considerably at the sight of his food disappearing into the thief's mouth.

After arguing for a few more minutes, Alfyn eventually gave up, settling for a truce after Therion offered to pay for a drink in return. That didn't mean much though, seeing as the thief had quite the sizable amount of leaves stashed away for whenever he needed them. Still, it was better than nothing. He'd take what he could get.

Therion wasn't normally so gracious anyway.

Alfyn returned to their table, only to find Cyrus sitting by himself and enjoying what seemed to be the last serving of potatoes. Unsurprisingly, he was nose-deep into one of his books, so focused on reading that he didn't notice the apothecary approaching him until Alfyn sat down at the table across from him. As soon as he did so, Cyrus looked upwards immediately, meeting Alfyn's eyes with a wide smile.

"Alfyn, my boy! Come and sit with me, we haven't seen each other much since arriving here." Cyrus exclaimed, setting his book down next to him.

"Sure thing, professor! Whatcha readin' there?" Alfyn grinned.

"Why, I thought you would never ask! I bought this just recently when we were in Quarrycrest. It's a book on the advancement of mining techniques and technology in recent years." Cyrus beamed. "It is most fascinating. Ah, did you know—"

"Shucks, professor. Let me stop ya right there." Alfyn interrupted, putting one of his hands up in gesture. "I'm a herbalist. If there's any trade that's the complete opposite of mine, it's mining rocks and ore."

"Er, yes. I suppose that's true." The professor stammered. "Well, then I won't bore you with the intricacies of modern excavation."

"Haha! That's alright! Save it for when we're back on the road and I need someone to talk to." Alfyn chuckled, leaning his cheek against the palm of his hand. "By the way, do you have any books on medicine by any chance?"

The scholar frowned. "Unfortunately, I do not. Scripts on medicine are quite expensive nowadays. I'm sure you of all people are aware of that."

"Yeah, that's for damn sure. Sucks cause there's a lotta regular folk out there that wanna learn in case their friends or family get sick, but can't afford it." The apothecary sighed deeply. "Well, if you find yourself lookin' for something to read one day, I can let ya borrow my journal if ya want."

"Truly!?"

"U-uh, yeah…"

"What is the earliest you could lend it to me?" Cyrus asked eagerly, leaning forward slightly across the table.

"The earliest? Shucks, not sure, really. I guess I could let ya borrow it today if you want. Probably won't need to write it in while we're here, after all!" Alfyn nodded.

The scholar smiled widely. "Wonderful! Many thanks, my medicinal friend. At last, I will finally have the opportunity to study medicinal practice!"

The apothecary curiously raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so ya never got a chance to read some of the medical tomes at the Royal Academy?"

"I'm afraid not. As much as I would have liked to, I was quite preoccupied with studying subjects that were more relevant to my teachings." The professor sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Princess Mary and Therese were quite the eager students. At times I found it difficult to find enough material to cover my lectures."

"You…had trouble…lecturing enough?" Alfyn asked slowly.

Cyrus blinked. "Is that so hard to believe?"

The apothecary merely nodded in response.

"Well, I did say at times, did I not? There were many occasions in which I went well over the allotted time as well." Cyrus claimed, shrugging his shoulder casually.

"Yeah, that sounds a lot more like you! Can't imagine you runnin' out of things to say, especially when you're on a roll." Alfyn said in agreement.

"I'm not sure if I should take that statement as a compliment or a complaint…"

"Eh, I'd say it's a bit of both. Depends on the person I guess! As for me, I like people who talk a lot. So if ya ever need a face to lecture to, I'm your man!" Alfyn grinned widely. "But people like Prim or Therion? Probably best you stay clear from those two, I'd say."

"Indeed. Although it took me some time to figure out, I'm very well aware now that Primrose and Therion are a bit…averse to my ramblings." The professor chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, I wouldn't take it too seriously though. Y'know how they are. Neither one of those two ain't exactly what I'd call a people person." The apothecary laughed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Agreed. In fact, I would say the majority of our group are not the most sociable of people, and that includes myself." Cyrus said, before gesturing towards Alfyn. "I'd say that only you, Tressa, and Ophilia display proper social skills consistently."

"Woah, woah, give yourself some credit! I'd say you're a really friendly person, professor!" Alfyn quickly responded.

The scholar let out a hearty laugh. "The flattery, my boy! Well, I do strive to be as well-mannered and good-natured as I can be, but my awareness could use some work."

"Hey, at least you're aware that you gotta be more aware, right?"

"Hmm, I suppose that could be seen as progress…"

"Shucks, professor. Never satisfied with anything, huh?" Alfyn smiled casually, leaning his elbow against the table.

"But of course! Given the opportunity, one should always aim to improve as much as possible. A scholar who has never put what he or she has learned into practice is no true scholar at all." The professor smiled in return.

"Then maybe we should get you some books on social etiquette or something, dontcha think?" The apothecary suggested.

"Why, that's a grand idea! How have I never considered that before?"

The two men continued to chat for what seemed like days, when in reality they had only been at the table for a few hours. The conversation only ever stopped whenever one of them needed to take a quick drink of water, and then continued swiftly afterwards without losing a single step. If left alone like this, Alfyn knew that they would most likely continue chatting for the rest of the afternoon. Out of all of his companions, only the professor enjoyed having a good conversation just as much as he did.

More often than not, the only way to get Cyrus away from his tomes was to strike up a conversation with him. Especially if he had just started a new one.

It was one of the traits that the apothecary most appreciated from Cyrus, and right now, he was appreciating it more than ever before. Talking with the professor like this distracted his thoughts from the special event that was going to happen later this day. That said, as the evening grew closer and closer, Alfyn could feel his nervousness starting to overwhelm him. No matter what he did to try to keep his mind off of her, his thoughts kept going back to Primrose.

How was she going to respond? Would she reject him or accept his feelings for her? What was she going to say? What did she want their relationship to be? Was everything going to change?

All sorts of questions kept popping into his head, and the worst part was that Alfyn likely knew the answer to every single question. Answers that Primrose had silently given him over the past month. However, despite everything, the butterflies in his stomach only grew worse with each passing second. After a while, he could feel doubt and reluctance start to creep into his thoughts, just like a Blotted Viper's venom snuck its way into a person's bloodstream.

But Alfyn knew that he couldn't put this off any longer.

If he didn't, then when was he ever going to do it? He needed to calm himself down, to reassure himself of everything he knew already about himself and the dancer. And so, the apothecary responded to his feelings of uncertainty the only way he knew how.

By talking to someone about it.

"Heya, professor? Sorry to get off-topic, but…would you mind if I talked about something really quick? Something important." Alfyn said reluctantly, looking down slightly at the table. "Shucks, you don't even have to listen. I just wanna get it off my chest."

The scholar smiled at him gently, meeting Alfyn's eyes with his own. "Alfyn, my boy. You know that I see you as my own family. I will always be happy to lend an ear if you need it."

"Thanks, professor. I knew I could count on ya." The apothecary chuckled, rubbing his right sleeve with his left hand sheepishly. "Well, to get straight to it then, it's about Primrose."

"I see." Cyrus nodded, listening intently to the apothecary's words.

"I'm…going to tell her I love her. Tonight. Right after this, actually." Alfyn confessed. "We're goin' to go on a picnic up on the big hill and watch the sunset together. That's when I'll do it."

The professor's eyes widened slightly, but said nothing.

"Problem is I'm startin' to feel nervous. Like, really nervous. So nervous that my whole body's shaking." Alfyn continued, twiddling his thumbs underneath the table. "This is my first time confessin' to a girl, and she's the most amazing girl I've ever met."

Again, the professor stayed silent.

"So, yeah. I don't know. I was feelin' a bit overwhelmed, and I guess I just wanted to let it all out. And I'm glad I did, cause I feel a whole lot better now." The apothecary said, letting out a deep sigh. "Shucks, sorry for ramblin', professor. I really appreciate you listening to me though."

"Of course. Always. Oh, and allow me to give you my thanks for trusting me with this. I know this is very important to you." Cyrus nodded firmly, meeting the apothecary's gaze once more. "After hearing your words, I can't help but feel the need to respond. Would you mind if I said just one thing?"

"Sure, by all means."

"Are you prepared to bear that responsibility for her?"

Alfyn blinked. "Huh?"

"Primrose is a wonderful person, and I do not doubt that you both would be incredibly happy together. However, the burdens she carries from her past and her current quest are exceedingly heavy." Cyrus declared, staring right into the apothecary's eyes. "Let's say that she accepts your feelings. Are you willing to share those burdens with her?"

The apothecary nodded firmly. "I made my mind up on that a long time ago, professor."

"Then all I have left to say is to wish you the absolute best. Good luck, Alfyn." The professor smiled gently.

For the first time since waking up this morning, Alfyn's took in a much-needed breath of fresh air, holding it in for a few seconds before letting it out slowly. All of a sudden, his chest felt light and his shoulders were finally starting to loosen up. The butterflies in his stomach were still very much present, but the apothecary felt much more comfortable than before. Almost as if his nervousness had been completely replaced by genuine excitement.

Alfyn chuckled. Good lord was he an idiot.

"Shucks, professor. Thanks a ton for hearin' me out. I promise you'll be the first person I tell!" Alfyn grinned, standing up from his seat at the table. "Alrighty then! Gotta go get everything ready for the picnic.

The scholar laughed. "But of course! Anytime, my boy."

"Oh, and professor?"

"Hmm?"

"I hope things go well between you and Ophilia."

"Ah, yes. About that…"

*

"And here we are! Best spot to watch the sunset in all of Clearbrook!"

"Oh my, this place is beautiful."

Alfyn and Primrose finally made their way to the top of the hill and were greeted by one of the most gorgeous views in all of the Riverlands. Tall trees and bright grass as far as the eye could see, illuminated by one of the most brilliant orange skies that either of them had ever seen. The apothecary had chosen the perfect time to bring the dancer up here. The sun had just started to dip closer to the horizon, which meant that they'd have plenty of time to eat and watch the sunset.

So far, all according to plan.

Alfyn set the picnic basket down next to him and began taking everything out. The first thing to do was to lay down the quilt, which he had shamelessly borrowed from Zeph. Next was to set up all of their plates and silverware, which honestly wasn't necessary, but Alfyn did so anyway. Finally, the apothecary brought out the last and most important part of their outing: the meal.

He had decided on something simple, sandwiches with a side of mixed fruits. Alfyn could cook decently well, but for such a momentous moment, he wanted everything to be prepared correctly. So, he had asked H'aanit for help, who was more than happy to lend to a hand. The apothecary knew that the huntress likely suspected that he was planning something special, but thankfully, she chose not to say anything.

"Goodness, you went all out for this, didn't you? How sweet." Primrose smiled, her eyes widening slightly as Alfyn brought out the sandwiches. "Oh, and what's this? You even prepared one of my favorite dishes. I must admit, I'm starting to feel slightly flustered."

Alright! Things were still going all according to plan.

"Haha, well, I just wanted to make sure you had a good time! This is the last thing on our list, after all. Besides, it didn't take much time or effort to put this all together." Alfyn lied, putting on the most convincing smile he could. The apothecary still wasn't good at hiding the truth, and probably wouldn't ever be.

Primrose chuckled. "Well, even so, it's still very much appreciated. Thank you, Alfyn." The dancer leaned over and planted a gentle kiss right onto his cheek. "A quick question. Why didn't we go over to that larger hill over there?"

Shit! Shit! Not according to plan. Not according to plan at all!

"Oh, well, you see…Um… it's just, ah…probably not the best spot for a picnic. I'll explain later." The apothecary stammered, looking over at the hill Primrose was pointing at. "Trust me on this."

"Oh no, it's alright. I am very satisfied with this location. It's gorgeous." The dancer said quickly, shaking her head in response. "Now, I'm sure you're feeling quite starved, so why don't we start?"

Alfyn nodded and took his first bite of the sandwich, humming happily to himself due to how good it actually tasted. H'aanit had really spoiled him this time. He'd have to return the favor later down the line.

Primrose apparently felt the same way, as she nearly finished the first slice of her sandwich before him, which was unheard of. Usually, she liked to take her time with her meals, but this time that clearly wasn't the case. It seemed that the apothecary wasn't the only one who was feeling hungry.

"Woah, hey! Calm down, Prim. The food ain't going anywhere." Alfyn mumbled with his mouth still full.

"The last person I want to hear that from is you, Alfyn." Primrose replied, taking another bite out of her sandwich before scooping up some fruit with her spoon. "I spent quite a bit of energy out in the river today. It's only natural for one to be famished."

"Haha, yeah. You played with girls almost the whole time we were out there! Surprised even me." Alfyn laughed, turning his head to meet the dancer's eyes. "Nina and Lily have really taken a liking to ya, Prim. Guess you're gonna be stuck in the big sister role forever, huh?"

"It would appear so. I wonder what aspect of myself sends that sort of impression…" Primrose mused, resting her fingers against her chin in thought.

"Shucks, that's easy. I could tell ya that myself." Alfyn chuckled.

The dancer merely raised an eyebrow.

"It's the way you talk, Prim. All suave and elegant like. With how rich your voice is, it's like you're begging to be seen that way." The apothecary revealed while pointing towards his throat.

"Well, it's not as if I am doing so on purpose. I was raised in a household full of people with this manner of speech. I merely adopted it." The dancer shrugged. "As for my voice, it has been like this since I turned 15 years of age. There's not much I can do to change it."

"Yeah, I know that. I ain't saying it's a problem. Actually, I really like the way you talk. It's like hearin' chocolate." Alfyn smiled playfully. "It is kinda hard to respond to ya sometimes without being dazed by your voice though. "

"Well then, what about you? I'd say that your way of speech is also quite peculiar." Primrose huffed, crossing her arms underneath her chest. The apothecary had to look away for just a moment.

"Of course it does, Prim. I've got an accent." Alfyn snorted, picking up another sandwich from the basket. "Most guys that grow up here talk this way."

"Zeph doesn't."

"Well, that's cause Zeph did his best to get rid of it. Believe it or not, he had the same accent when he was a kid." Alfyn said nostalgically. "When his parents passed and he took the responsibility of raising her, he forced himself to change the way he talked so that she wouldn't pick it up."

Primrose nodded. "That does sound like something that he would do. How very considerate of him. That said, there's nothing wrong with having an accent. I find yours in particular to be rather charming."

"Shucks, you're gonna make me blush."

"Well, that was my intention."

The two young travelers exchanged a laugh, continuing their conversation as they enjoyed their meal together. As he listened to the dancer laugh fondly at his stories about him and Zeph throughout their childhood years, Alfyn began to feel a pleasant feeling in his chest growing warmer with each passing moment. He wasn't sure what it was or how to describe what it felt like, but he did know that he wanted this feeling to last forever.

He wanted this moment, watching the sunrise atop of a grassy hill with the woman he cared about more than anything in the world, to last forever.

Unfortunately, that was impossible. Eventually the sun would pass the horizon, and no matter how much the apothecary wanted to stay, the two of them would have to head back to town. However, that didn't mean they couldn't come back here again one day, after they were done traveling the continent with their new-found family. Even though he knew it was going to be a long time, Alfyn was already looking forward to it. He was looking forward to a lot of things, like visiting Noblecourt or taking a trip to Goldshore to see Ellen and Flynn again.

Hopefully, Primrose would still be by his side then.

"Say, Alfyn? I found out something today that I couldn't help but be slightly curious about. Could I ask you about it?" The dancer said suddenly, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Shoot."

"Are you familiar with the name Mercedes?" Primrose asked, twirling her hair around her finger.

"Mercedes? Shucks, now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Just a little over eight years now, in fact." Alfyn hummed, his eyes widening slightly upon hearing the name. "Why? Did Zeph tell you about her?"

"Er, not quite. Let's just say I did some snooping around and leave it at that." Primrose stammered nervously. She couldn't tell Alfyn that she had opened that letter, now could she?

"Uh-huh…well, alright then. Mercedes was one of our childhood friends. Me, Zeph, and her practically did everything together when we were little." Alfyn explained. "But she moved away when we were 13, and we haven't heard much from her since. Funny story there, actually."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Y'see, Zeph actually had a huge crush on Mercedes, and for a long time too." Alfyn smiled as he began to reminisce. "When we found out she was leavin' to go live with some of her distant relatives, Zeph decided to write her a letter. I don't know what he ended up writing, but it must've been something kinda mushy, cause he was too shy to deliver it himself. So, he asked me to deliver it for him."

"Continue." Primrose nodded.

"On the day she was headin' out, I went over to her house to say my goodbyes and give her the letter. When I got there, I found that her coachman had a cold, so I gave him some medicine to get him back up on his feet." The apothecary recounted, leaning back casually on his arms. "Everything started movin' along so quickly that—well, long story short, I forgot to give her Zeph's letter."

The dancer let out a dramatic gasp. "Oh, Alfyn! You did not!"

Alfyn chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Haha, you reacted the same way H'aanit and Therion did when I told them this story."

"And? What happened after that? Did you give the letter back to Zeph?" Primrose asked frantically.

"Yup. Gave it back as soon as I could. Taught me a really good lesson, that little incident did." Alfyn admitted, shaking his head in shame.

"I'm sure it did. Goodness, Alfyn. You really are one of a kind." Primrose chuckled, meeting Alfyn's gaze with a slanted smile.

"Shucks, now I'm startin' to feel embarrassed." The apothecary sighed, looking down in disappointment. "Even though Zeph told me not to worry anymore, I still feel kinda bad about it sometimes."

"Aww, now aren't you just a sweetheart. There, there." Primrose whispered as she gently ruffled the apothecary's hair.

"Shuck, Prim. I'm not a little kid." Alfyn complained.

"I'm not entirely convinced on that just yet."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just all make fun of little ol' Alfyn now. Isn't he just the biggest dolt you've ever seen, right?" Alfyn grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

The dancer giggled lightly, leaning her head on Alfyn's shoulder. "You're adorable."

"And you're beautiful."

"Flatterer."

After a few more snarky remarks, the two young travelers settled into a comfortable silence as they looked over the sunset. The apothecary brought his gaze back up to the sun, which was just starting to dip below the clouds. It wouldn't be long now until dusk, which meant it was going to get dark soon. That wasn't that large of an inconvenience, but it still was one nonetheless.

Alfyn didn't have much time left.

As he stared at the luminous golden orb, Alfyn's thoughts went back to that special night in S'warkii that had started it all. The night that he had let his feelings for the dancer show for the very first time. Before they had fallen asleep together on her bed, he had asked Primrose an extremely important question. One that the apothecary had been very afraid to ask, especially considering the circumstances.

_"Would you consider coming back to Clearbrook with me?"_

And for whatever reason, her answer echoed inside his head.

_"That would make me very happy, Alfyn."_

Alfyn took one last look over at the sky, and for just a second, his breath was completely taken away from him. It was like a painting, a work of art that was meant only for the two of them. At that moment, the young man had only a single thought on his mind.

This is what that warm feeling in his chest looked like.

Alfyn closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as quietly as he possibly could, and let it out slowly into the fresh forest air. After waiting a few seconds, the apothecary reopened his eyes and looked down at the dancer next to him.

Primrose was watching the sunset with a smile that defined beauty itself, so dazzling that it rivaled the view that was right in front of them. At that moment a slight breeze blew past them, which made her hair move gently against the wind, almost like it was the brush that had been used to paint the sky in front of them. Alfyn honestly couldn't tell what was more stunning, the sunset right in front of him, or Primrose herself.

That was when he knew. It had to be now.

"I love you."

The dancer turned towards him. "What?"

"I love you, Primrose." Alfyn breathed out, staring right into her eyes. "I want us to be together."

The apothecary kept his gaze fixated on Primrose, waiting for her reaction. Time seemed to slow down as he lost himself in this one moment, looking deeply into the dancer's bright green eyes in hopes of spotting any sort of reaction from her. However, the young woman didn't say anything. She stayed completely still, not moving even a single muscle. Her only reaction was to stare back at him with slightly opened eyes, as if she was still trying to wrap her head around what he had just said.

And maybe she was. Alfyn hadn't even realized what he had said himself. He had spoken completely out of impulse, his own mind not even registering the words that had come out of his mouth. Right now, all he could focus on was the woman in front of him. Nothing else mattered.

A second passed. And then another. Then five more.

It took ten entire seconds for Primrose to show her first reaction.

She didn't say a single word. All she did was flush a deep red and open her eyes so wide that it felt almost as if she had just walked in on him naked. Unfortunately, seeing the dancer blush as red as her outfit brought Alfyn back to reality. And what was his response?

To turn so red that it felt like he was actually naked.

"U-Um! Wh-what I mean is, er…" Alfyn stumbled over his words, waving his hands out in front of him frantically. "What I mean is…"

Before he said something unbelievably stupid, the apothecary covered his mouth with his left hand and tore his eyes away from Primrose.

Dohter himself! Alfyn's heart was beating so fast that it felt like he was about to pass out, which honestly wouldn't be that much of a surprise. Alfyn knew exactly how fast a heart could beat before it became concerning, and he was already well beyond that point. Not even closing his eyes and taking in a few deep breaths helped. If anything, it just made it worse. Any small bit of composure that the apothecary had built up from his talk with Cyrus had just completely disappeared.

It wasn't until he opened his eyes and saw Primrose in the same amount of distress he was in that Alfyn began to calm down.

That was right. She was feeling the exact same thing he was. This nervousness, these emotions…they were all perfectly normal. This was supposed to happen. Because if it didn't, then were his feelings truly real?

Slowly but surely, Alfyn felt his confidence come back to him.

"What I'm trying to say is…I care about you, Primrose. A lot. You're the most important person in my life, and all I've ever wanted is to stay by your side for as long as possible." Alfyn confessed, meeting Primrose's eyes once more.

"I know that you're carrying a heavy burden, and that being in a relationship with someone is only gonna make that harder for you. And there's nothing I'd want less than to get in your way, but…"

"I still love you, and I don't wanna hide my feelings anymore. No, actually, it's more that I can't. You're always on my mind, and every day that goes by I can't help but think about what-if. What if everything works out, y'know?"

"So, yeah. I'm not sure what you're thinking or what you're gonna decide or what's gonna happen to us from now on, but I just want you to know that I wanna be a part of your life. I want to love you, to take care of you, to start a family with you…"

"…Aw, shucks. That might be thinking too far ahead. Sorry! Forget I said all that! Wait, no, no, no. Not everything! Just that last part about starting a family and…"

Alfyn stopped talking as soon as he saw the tears streaming down from Primrose's eyes.

"H-hey, are you okay? Was it something—" Alfyn stammered, leaning slightly towards the dancer.

"Finally."

The apothecary blinked. "Huh?"

Primrose looked up at him and gave him the most genuine smile that he had ever seen. "You really kept me waiting for such a long time, didn't you? You absolute fool."

"Shucks, I—"

The apothecary was interrupted as the dancer threw herself into his arms, burying her face firmly against his chest. Her hands fisted the front of his shirt so tightly that he was surprised that she didn't rip off any of his buttons. It took a few moments for Alfyn to get his bearings together and wrap his arms around Primrose, pressing her securely against his own body as if this were the last time he would ever hold her. Thankfully, it was the complete opposite. From now on, he could hold her like this whenever he wanted.

Well, for the most part. As long as they were in private.

"Kiss me." Primrose said suddenly, looking up the Alfyn with watery eyes.

Alfyn's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"I said kiss me. Do it before I do it myself." The dancer commanded, her grip on his shirt tightening slightly.

"Shucks, Prim. I don't know. I ain't ever kissed a girl before—MRPH!?"

Once again, Alfyn was cut-short from finishing his sentence, this time by the force of Primrose pressing her lips firmly against his. The apothecary immediately tensed up, still in utter disbelief over what was happening. However, his inner emotions eventually took over and he let himself relax against her lips, gently kissing the dancer back without a single care in the world. After a few seconds, Primrose pulled away to catch her breath before leaning in once more. This time, Alfyn responded appropriately, cupping the young woman's face with both of his hands and melting into her embrace.

Right now, this moment truly felt like it could last forever.

"Prim. Y'know better than anyone that I suck at this romance thing, so I just wanna make sure. I can take this as a good thing, right?" The apothecary asked, as the two of them pulled away from each other.

"Yes, Alfyn. I love you too. Dearly." Primrose laughed. "Nothing would make me happier than to call you my partner."

"Really? You're not teasin' me right now, right? You're being serious?" Alfyn said anxiously, which only made the dancer laugh harder.

"Of course. I'll say it as many times as I need to. I am in love with you, Alfyn. I have been for quite some time now." Primrose smiled warmly, taking the apothecary's hands into her own.

Alfyn merely stared at her in response.

The dancer giggled. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

"Ah, no. It's just…I didn't think I'd get this far." Alfyn blinked. "Not sure it's hit me yet."

"Darling, you and I have been practically together for over a month now. Did you honestly believe that the outcome would be any different from this?" Primrose remarked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Er, well. I was really nervous, so I guess I convinced myself that—wait, Darling?"

"Yes, darling. I believe I've earned the right to call you that, wouldn't you say?"

Alfyn blinked once more, staring down deep into the Primrose's eyes. Her dazzling green orbs were shining affectionately, rivaling the brightness of the sunrise above them. At that moment, everything finally clicked.

"Oh, shucks…"

The dancer laughed once again, before pulling her new lover into another deep embrace. Alfyn closed his eyes and hugged her back as tightly as he could, his heart full and warm with emotions that he never knew existed.

Yup.

All according to plan.

*

"Well then, shall we head back to town? It's starting to get dark." Primrose asked, right as the two young lovers had made their way back down the hill.

"Sure! Can't wait to tell everyone the good news" Alfyn grinned, before remembering something important. "Oh, wait. There's one more place I wanna take you before we go back. Won't take too long, trust me."

Primrose chuckled. "Can't it wait for tomorrow?"

"I guess…but it'd make me really happy if we did it today." The apothecary smiled sadly, giving their joined hands a gentle squeeze.

"Well, alright then. I suppose that staying out for a few extra minutes won't make much of a difference." The dancer shrugged. "So? Where are you taking me?"

Alfyn looked down solemnly, letting out a somber sigh as old memories started to flash in his head. "I want you to…"

No, not like this. He wasn't about to let these lingering emotions ruin this moment. Alfyn had moved on from this a long time ago, and now it was time to finally put these wavering feelings to rest. The apothecary shook his head, looking back at Primrose with newfound resolve.

"I want you to meet my mom."

Primrose immediately froze in place, her eyes widening upon hearing the apothecary's words "You told me that…she had passed away."

The apothecary nodded. "She did."

"Then how…Oh." Primrose whispered, before realizing what Alfyn truly meant. "I see."

"She's waiting for us on top of that big hill over there. Y'know, the one you mentioned earlier?" Alfyn chuckled, pointing towards the large hillside. "I bet ya get why we didn't have our picnic over there now, right?"

The dancer nodded. "Yes, I do."

"…Hey, if you don't wanna do this then it's perfectly okay. Last thing I wanna do is make ya comfortable." Alfyn said softly, looking over at the dancer with concerned eyes.

"No, no, that's not it. It was just slightly surprising, that's all." Primrose responded, after shaking her head. "I…would love to meet your mother. I need to thank her. For everything."

The apothecary smiled. "Then follow me."

The two travelers walked towards the large hillside in complete silence, enjoying each other's company without saying a single word. However, as they got closer and closer to the hill, Alfyn began to feel a bit apprehensive. It had been nearly a year since he had last paid a visit to his mother, and nearly two years since the day he had lost her. The apothecary remembered that day very well, as it had been the very last day of his life with a family.

Now, he had two. One in Zeph and Nina, the big brother and little sister that he never had. And another in the seven friends that he had made during his travels, people that the apothecary considered to be the most important people in his life right now.

Then there was Primrose, who had just given him the hope of starting another family. One that Alfyn could truly call his own alongside the woman he loved more than anyone in the world.

Like he had said earlier, Alfyn didn't know what was going to happen from here on out. Anything was possible in this crazy world, the one that he had finally gotten to see after leaving his hometown at the young age of 21. The apothecary had seen many things in the past nine months, sights ranging from tall, rocky mountains to snowy fields as far as the eye could see. Some days he had fought against lowly fanboy pirates and others against mythical beasts that he had only heard about in legends. Alfyn had set out in search of an adventure, and so far, he wasn't disappointed.

That said, this world was dangerous. If you weren't careful, it would eat you up and spit you out without a single ounce of remorse. Alfyn had learned that very quickly, and to this day it still surprised him just how cruel this world could be sometimes. Honestly, he would probably never get used to it.

But, as he made his way up the wooden steps, steps that he had once climbed every single day after his mother had passed, something told him everything was going to be alright.

Because now, he had someone else to walk alongside with on his path. A woman who he knew would be by his side through everything that the world would throw at them.

Shucks. How fortunate was he?

"Hey mom, it's been a while…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - First off, let me just say thank you to those who have made it this far. Thank you for being patient. Thank you for showing your support. Thank you for sharing your love of this game with me. You're the reason why I continue to write, and why this story has turned into something very special to me. So thank you, truly.
> 
> This was a long, emotional chapter for me to write.
> 
> I really hope that you enjoyed it, because I know that I certainly did! Everything that I have built for the last nine chapters came together in this update. The romance, the characters, and many of the themes that I have developed throughout this story...all packed into a single chapter. Primrose and Alfyn have become more than just characters on a screen to me at this point, and I wanted to show that through my writing here. I worked really hard to make that happen, so I hope this Act II finale was everything you hoped for.
> 
> Alright, so let's talk about this fic. This is not the end of "How Fortunate". I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT THE END. There's so much more that I want to do with this story, and I intend to see it through fully. No matter what. That said, I will be taking a little break. A hiatus, if you will. Right now, I have to focus on my personal life, particularly my career, and since my creative juices have been spent, I think taking a break will do both my story and I a lot of good. I don't want to give a specific timetable, but trust me on this, I am not going to disappoint you.
> 
> Again, thank you to those who have shown their support. I see all of you, so don't be surprised if you get a shout-out in the future :). I hope you all have a fantastic day, and be sure to stay healthy.
> 
> Until next time.


	11. Intimacy

Alfyn sighed.

"Just thirty more minutes…"

The apothecary stretched his arms up above him, letting out a much-needed yawn as quietly as he could so that he wouldn't wake anyone up. He probably didn't need to, considering everyone in the group had built up the tolerance necessary to sleep through Olberic's awful snoring. Still, it didn't hurt to be careful. Alfyn knew full well what was in store for him if he accidentally woke up one of his companions in the middle of the night.

He had found that out the hard way.

The group had decided to set up camp early today, as it had been a considerably rough day of travel. The path from Clearbrook to Saintsbridge wasn't particularly difficult when it came to monsters or the terrain, but it was fairly demanding in terms of length. It would take the party over two weeks to arrive in Saintsbridge if they were to go on foot, which didn't sound too appealing after spending a month traveling through the harsh slopes of the Cliftlands.

So for the first time since they had formed, the group had considered taking a carriage.

The carriage ride would reduce the travel time from two weeks down to just a few days, and it also meant that they wouldn't have to burden their legs. It was an enticing proposition, but ultimately the group decided to go on foot. Mostly because they could barely afford two carriages to carry the eight of them, but also for the sake of keeping their combat sense fresh. Olberic, H'aanit, and Therion would always have their battle instincts no matter how much time went by, but the rest of the group needed their daily dose of lethal exercise to keep themselves from getting rusty.

Besides, trying to convince a coachman to let Linde ride on the carriage with them would have been quite an ordeal.

That said, traveling on foot meant that the group would have to make camp for most nights, and even though Lady Luck was usually on Alfyn's side, he had drawn the short end of the stick tonight. The apothecary had gotten one of the absolute worst times for night watch: the dreaded third slot. The group had developed a fairly efficient system when it came to their night-shifts over the last several months. Usually they would all sleep eight hours every night, so it was easy to divide the workload amongst four people alternating every other day between the men and women.

It worked well enough for the people who drew the first and last slots, but not for those unfortunate enough to receive the second or third. Waking up in the middle of the night for your shift and then having to go back to sleep again later wasn't very enjoyable, especially after a long day of travel. But this was the arrangement that they had all settled into, and it wasn't as if Alfyn disliked it. Actually, if you had asked him about it a few weeks ago, the apothecary would have said that he rather liked the system.

However, things were different now. Now that Primrose and Alfyn were officially in a relationship, the two of them had started sleeping with each other every night. At first, it had been heavenly. Going to bed with Primrose, feeling her warmth against his body, bringing her in close as they both drifted away into a deep sleep…

All of a sudden, having either the second or third night-shift had become extremely unappealing to Alfyn.

Tearing himself away from Primrose's embrace tonight was one of the hardest things that the apothecary had ever had to do. His displeasure must have been quite visible as well, seeing as Olberic offered to take his shift right after waking him up. Alfyn almost took the knight up on his offer, but he knew that Olberic needed the rest more than anyone. With that in mind, Alfyn somehow managed to summon up the willpower to take up his post, albeit begrudgingly.

And so here he was now, staring out into the night mindlessly and waiting for the hourglass sitting next to him to finally let him know that his watch was over.

During his night-shifts Alfyn usually liked to practice his mixing techniques and experiment with any interesting flora that he could find nearby. Most of the time his experiments wouldn't yield any significant results, but every once in a while the apothecary would come up with something interesting. Recently, Alfyn had discovered some new combinations that produced hazardous concoctions rather than medicinal ones. He wasn't sure if his new concoctions would be reliable in most battles, but in the right situations, they might prove to be useful.

Tonight though, Alfyn wasn't really feeling up to it. The apothecary was already very well-acquainted with all the flora in the Riverlands, so any experimenting probably wouldn't result in anything that he wasn't already familiar with. Besides, he was tired. All Alfyn wanted to do right now was to head back inside his tent and go to sleep. The only thing keeping the apothecary from doing just that was the tiny measuring device beside him, practically taunting him as the stream of sand seemed to get slower and slower with each passing second.

"C'mon little grains of sand…just a little faster. You can do it." Alfyn whispered, lightly nudging the hourglass with his pointer finger.

"Talking to inanimate objects now, are we?"

The sudden sound of someone else's voice caught Alfyn completely by surprise, making him jump up from his seat in panic. The apothecary quickly turned around, only to find Primrose slowly approaching him from their tent.

"W-what the hell!? You scared the living bejeebers outta me!" Alfyn complained, frowning deeply at the sight of a small grin forming on the dancer's face.

"Bejeebers, indeed. You looked almost like a rabbit caught in the eyes of a wolf. Though, I'd say that's an apt comparison." Primrose grinned, looking down at Alfyn with a hand on her hips.

"Hey, who ya callin' a rabbi—" Alfyn protested, his eyes widening slightly. "Wait, why in Dohter's name are you awake!? Go back to sleep!"

"Come now, is that any way to talk to your beloved?" Primrose said with a smug grin.

Alfyn merely narrowed his eyes in response.

"Peace, Alfyn. I was only teasing. I woke up and found that you weren't there next to me, so I thought I'd keep you company instead. It's as simple as that." The dancer chuckled, taking a seat next to Alfyn on the log. "Now, would you be a dear and throw some straw into the fire? The Riverlands are surprisingly chilly during the night."

"Sure, but I'd much rather you go back to bed." Alfyn nodded, reaching for some nearby grass and tossing it into the campfire. "I'm doin' just fine on my own, and I've only got thirty minutes left till I'm done."

The dance shrugged. "All the more reason to stay. I'd much rather go back to bed with you than by myself, and losing a half-hour of sleep won't kill me."

"Yeah, maybe. We both know how grumpy you get when you're sleep-deprived though." Alfyn snorted playfully.

"Oh, hush. Most of us are not able to function properly on only six hours of sleep. Unlike some people…" Primrose responded, gently jabbing the apothecary in the arm.

"As an apothecary you get used to it. Medicine ain't exactly forgivin' work when it comes to your sleep schedule." Alfyn chuckled, looking back towards the fire. "Long nights and early mornin's are more common than not."

"What, do you want to be praised? How humble of you." The dancer laughed, lightly ruffling Alfyn hair with her hand. "Good job, Medicine Man."

"Hearing that from you instead of Therion doesn't sound right at all."

"Well, deal with it. Or would you rather I call you something else, _darling_?"

The apothecary let out a chuckle, turning towards the dancer with an amused grin. The dancer responded with a playful grin of her own, bringing her knees up against her chest and gently placing her cheek against them. Just like how a cat would rest its head on top of its paws.

It was behavior like this that caused Alfyn to genuinely question the possibility of his lover being some sort of half-cat, half-human hybrid.

Knowing the dancer, their conversation was about to take a very messy turn. It'd been a while since the two of them had bickered back and forth like this. Now that they were officially together, conversations between them were a bit more honest than before. Sometimes the two of them didn't even talk when they were alone, choosing to enjoy each other's company in silence instead. At times, it felt almost as if they didn't need to use words to communicate with each other anymore.

" _It's called the honeymoon period, Alfyn_." Primrose had told him a couple of days ago. " _Enjoy it_."

However, right now it certainly seemed like the dancer was trying to elicit a certain type of reaction from him. Unsurprisingly, it was working. Only Primrose could get the apothecary to behave this way. Normally, Alfyn wasn't the type of person to make sarcastic remarks or snide comments. But ever since he first met her, the frisky feline had always managed to get him to dance to her tune. At first, her constant teasing had been a little vexing, but now it was something that Alfyn loved most about her.

He just hoped she'd take it a bit easier on him now that they were in a relationship.

"Darling works just fine." Alfyn said softly, letting the corners of his mouth curve upwards slightly. His gaze fell back towards the fire, which was now slowly starting to rise.

"Hmm…?" Primrose hummed, raising an eyebrow. "Ever the romantic, are you?"

"Sure am. If I wasn't I don't think I'd be able to woo someone like you." Alfyn joked, knowing full well just how inexplicably lousy he was at romance.

The dancer laughed. "Careful now, mister. Don't get overconfident."

"Yeah, I know. You don't gotta worry about that." Alfyn sighed. "Don't have much experience with this kinda stuff."

Primrose blinked. "Wait, Alfyn. Am I… your first relationship?"

"Uh-huh. I thought that was pretty obvious." The apothecary nodded, turning to face the dancer. "Didn't I tell ya that you were my first kiss?"

"Oh, yes. You did. I suppose it never really clicked." Primrose remembered, as her mind went back to their time in Clearbrook.

"Yup. I didn't much care about girls when I was a kid, and by the time I started to I was too focused on learnin' how to be an apothecary to look for anything." Alfyn claimed, leaning back on his arms. "Only girl I was really close to was Mercedes, but she was more like a sister to me than a childhood crush."

"I see. That does make sense." Primrose nodded, tilting her head slightly. "So, what was different about me when we first met?"

"Aw shucks, that's not fair. Don't make me answer that."

"Oh? Now I'm curious."

Alfyn looked down sheepishly, trying to hide the light flush on his cheeks as best as he could. "…You were really hot."

Primrose stared at Alfyn incredulously for a few seconds before bursting into a fit of giggles. The dancer tried her best not to make too much noise, but the apothecary's annoyed expression was making that very difficult.

"C'mon, can ya blame me?! A country boy leaves town for the first time in his whole life and the first girl he talks to is a perfect beauty wearing a dancer's outfit." The apothecary grumbled underneath his breath. "What else was I supposed to think, huh?"

The dancer rolled her eyes. "Men."

Alfyn sighed in defeat. "Well, sorry. Wish I could give ya a more respectable answer, but it's the truth. Call me shallow if ya want."

"No, it's alright. I appreciate the honesty." Primrose chuckled, shaking her head slowly. "Let's not forget the reason I first approached you either."

"You wanted to get some leaves outta my pocket, right?" Alfyn laughed.

"Hmm, something like that. Though, I remember thinking you looked somewhat lacking in coin back then." The dancer smirked mischievously. "Not much has changed, has it?"

"Hey, last I checked I had a good number of leaves up on you. So don't go talkin' smack unless you got some bite to your bark." Alfyn fired back.

"Please. If I took up my noble seat then I would have well over a hundred times your life savings." Primrose huffed.

"Yeah okay, that's a _big_ if." Alfyn responded. "Also, dontcha owe me something like thirty leaves?"

The dancer clicked her tongue, steering her gaze away from the apothecary. "I thought you had forgotten."

"Hey! So you were just not gonna say anything!? Shucks, Prim!" The apothecary complained, narrowing his eyes slightly at the dancer. "Just gonna let me forget so you can get away with it?"

"Yes, and if we weren't having this conversation there's a good chance I would have gotten away with it. Though, I suppose I can only blame myself." Primrose sighed. She turned to meet Alfyn's gaze once again, flicking his nose playfully in hopes of easing his displeasure. "Don't look at me like that. It makes me uncomfortable."

Alfyn huffed, crossing his arms firmly. "Uh-uh. I ain't letting you get out of this. Thirty leaves, pay up."

Primrose stared sharply at Alfyn for a few seconds before rolling her eyes and getting up to make her way towards their tent. Alfyn watched her amusingly, content that he had gotten one up over the dancer. After rummaging around her belongings for a few moments, the brunette found what she was looking for. A small part of her wanted to stay inside, leaving Alfyn alone with all of his pompous sass. However, doing that would only further spur him on, so it was probably best to get this over with quickly. Primrose came back outside from her tent, her face souring by the second at the sight of her lover's snarky grin.

"Here. Thirty leaves paid in full." Primrose growled, dropping a stack of coins into the apothecary's lap.

Alfyn's grin only widened. "Pleasure doin' business with ya!"

"Hmph."

The two of them bickered for a few more minutes, careful not to let themselves get too carried away. Eventually, they settled into a comfortable silence, leaning against each other comfortably as they watched the fire flicker against the outlines of the trees. Now that he wasn't feeling down in the dumps anymore, Alfyn could enjoy the quiet ambiance of the night to its fullest. The hourglass next to him told him that there were only twenty minutes left of his watch, but that didn't matter so much to the apothecary now.

All thanks to Miss Primrose Azelhart.

Now that he thought about it, Primrose had most likely joined him knowing that he was feeling a bit low-spirited. Usually, the dancer wasn't one to do things like this without a good reason, especially if it caused her discomfort. If the apothecary had been his normal upbeat self, then she would have most likely gone right back to sleep without much of a second thought. Instead, she noticed that something was off about him, and decided to join him outside hoping to cheer him up. Even though the dancer was probably feeling just as tired as Alfyn, she still chose to keep him company. The Primrose from nine months ago would have never done something like this. Not even close.

That's why it meant so much to Alfyn. Because he knew that she had changed. Changed for the better. He had played a large part in that, sure, but most of it was her own doing. Slowly, but surely…

She was healing.

Alfyn was snapped out of his thoughts as the dancer shifted her weight, gently placing her head on top of his shoulder. The apothecary let his eyes linger on the fire for a little longer before turning to face Primrose. Unsurprisingly, the sight in front of him left him absolutely speechless.

The warm glow from the fire illuminated her face perfectly, casting the dancer in an almost ethereal glow. The blazing crimson and gold of her dancer's attire rivaled the brilliant colors of the flames, colors that danced in the shadows of the night just as passionately as the woman who wore them. Her electric green eyes burned brightly in even the darkest hours of the day, reflecting the light from the campfire almost as if they were flawless orbs of glass.

The same eyes that were once cold and lifeless nine months ago, devoid of any emotion aside for numbing rage.

It was during moments like these when Alfyn wondered just how someone like Primrose had become such an integral part of his life. Even before they decided to enter a relationship, her presence in his life had always seemed too good to be true. That said, it wasn't as if she was some angel sent down to him from the heavens. Far from it in fact. Alfyn had never seen the dancer as a source of light in his life, and he probably never would. Primrose was a good person, yes, but she wasn't pure. She was dark, tragic, and sometimes hateful.

No, Primrose was more like a gem. A jewel unparalleled in clarity and beauty, perfectly polished after many years of living in the harsh realities of this world. A priceless treasure that the apothecary just happened to stumble upon by pure chance.

Man, was he ever a lucky guy.

"Alfyn."

The apothecary blinked. "Huh?"

"You were lost in thought. Is there something wrong?" Primrose asked, concern showing in her eyes.

"Ah, no. It's nothing. Sorry." Alfyn responded, shaking his head lightly. The corners of his mouth curved into a small smile as his eyes went back to the campfire. "Hey, you remember what I said to ya when I confessed?"

"For the most part." Primrose nodded. "Why?"

"Do ya remember what I said at the end?"

"Not…quite."

"Figures. Shucks, by that point you were a cryin' mess.." Alfyn laughed, which earned him a sharp pinch on his arm. "I told you that I wanted to start a family with you, and then got all embarrassed cause of it."

The dancer blinked. "Oh, that's right. You did say that."

"I wasn't joking, y'know?"

Primrose met Alfyn's gaze, her eyes widening slightly. "Huh?"

"I was being serious. When all of this is over, I want us to start a family. In Clearbrook. Together." Alfyn announced, taking the dancer's hand into his own. "Just thought that…you should know."

Primrose stared at him for a few moments, most likely gathering her thoughts on what he had just said. After a few seconds, her lips formed into a half-smile. "Well, you're quite the fast mover, aren't you?"

"U-um! Sorry! Wasn't tryin' to pressure ya, trust me!" The apothecary stammered, looking down at the ground in embarrassment. "Forget I said anything!"

"No, no, it's fine. There's no reason to apologize. I did not take it that way." Primrose giggled. "Honestly Alfyn, how many times have I told you to stop apologizing for every little thing?"

"Sor—I mean, yeah. I'll try to stop."

The dancer let out another soft giggle, before turning her gaze towards the fire as well. "A family, hmm?"

The apothecary tried to find the right words to say in response, but found that they were completely lost to him. Instead, he merely nodded towards the fire.

"That doesn't sound too bad." Primrose smiled wistfully.

Alfyn's heart skipped a beat. "Shucks. R-really?"

"Yes."

"…Don't wanna be rude, but I honestly didn't expect you to say yes."

"It's a surprise to me as well." Primrose whispered, tightening her grip on their joined hands. Even though she was trying her best to hide it, there was a slight shake to her words. Most people wouldn't be able to notice it, but the apothecary did so immediately.

"Tell me." Alfyn said quietly.

The dancer chuckled, dropping her eyes downward slightly. "I…never truly had a family. My mother died in childbirth, and most of my relatives were distant or completely removed from my life. All I ever had was my father, but I lost him eventually as well. So I gave up. I told myself it was better to be alone, rather than risk losing someone I loved again. When Yusufa died, I thought that was the point of no return."

"But shortly after, I met all of you, and I started to think to myself that…perhaps this was what it was like. Then one day, a day filled with cold white and warm red, I felt a feeling that I had never felt before." Primrose continued, keeping her eyes locked on the fire. "A collective love so powerful, that it opened my heart for the first time since my father was taken from me."

"Oh. The winter solstice." Alfyn murmured, finally realizing where the dancer was going with her words.

Primrose smiled sadly, nodding slowly in affirmation. "That was when I started thinking that after my quest for revenge was over…it might be nice to have my own family. I just never thought it was possible." The dancer turned towards Alfyn and lightly tapped his nose with her finger. "Then you decided to happen. So suddenly too."

"S-shucks…"

"Shucks, he says." Primrose snorted, before taking a more sincere expression. "I suppose I should thank you. I knew my feelings towards you, but I was never going to act on them. So I'm grateful that you did."

Alfyn raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why not?"

"I don't know. Perhaps it's because I could never imagine myself that way." The dancer shrugged. "After the life I've lived, I never thought love was a possibility."

"I guess that makes sense, still don't like hearin' you talk like that though." Alfyn frowned.

"Well, that's reality. I can't simply forget about my past." Primrose said firmly, her eyes darkening for a brief moment.

"Yeah, I know. It just sucks that you had to go through stuff like that. I mean, I can't even imagine…" Alfyn grimaced momentarily, turning his gaze away from Primrose. "You never talk 'bout it directly, and I appreciate it, but I know what type of work you did when you were a dancer."

"Precisely why I don't address it directly." Primrose responded. "Especially when Tressa and Ophilia are present."

"Probably best not to."

"…Does it bother you?"

"Huh? Bother me what?"

"Does it bother you that I've been sullied?"

The words that came out of Primrose's mouth were sudden, but that didn't make it any less painful for Alfyn to hear. He'd always known, but having it confirmed by her directly made it feel much worse. His chest felt like it was on fire, burning with a fury so intense that it terrified him. It took everything the apothecary could muster to keep all the emotions flaring inside him from showing on his face.

"No, it doesn't." Alfyn muttered numbly, hiding his anger as best as he could. "At least, not in the way that you're thinking of."

"What do you mean?" The dancer asked, finally meeting Alfyn's eyes with her own.

"It doesn't bother me one bit that you've lost your virtue. Hell, most gals my age have. Ain't ever cared about that." The apothecary fiercely shook his head. "What bothers me is that you had to go through that. No one should ever have to, not even the lowest of the low. It makes me sick."

"Alfyn again, that's just the reality of—"

"Then _fuck_ that reality."

The searing bite to Alfyn's words made the dancer recoil back slightly. Her wide eyes made it clear that she wasn't expecting the apothecary to respond the way he did. Even Alfyn was surprised at his own words; he never thought he could ever snap like that.

"I…don't think I've ever heard you curse like that before." Primrose gawked, looking at Alfyn in shock.

"Sor—"

"Don't apologize."

"I-I mean, my bad. It's just…I just don't like it when you dismiss all that shit so casually. Almost like it's supposed to be natural." The apothecary sighed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "It's not. The stuff that happened to you is straight-up wrong. You have every right to be angry and disgusted 'bout it."

The dancer said nothing, watching him with attentive eyes that Alfyn knew he had no hope of seeing through.

The apothecary took in a deep breath. "So, if you're not gonna get heated about it, I'll do it for ya. After all, isn't that kinda my job now? Y'know, now that we're—"

Alfyn was cut off by the sound of Primrose's beautiful laughter. The apothecary stared at her hesitantly, unsure if her laughter was a good thing or a bad thing. Knowing Primrose, there was a good chance it was both.

"Ah, forgive me. I hope my laughter didn't come across as rude." The dancer giggled softly, before settling into a gentle smile.

"Of course not. Just…a little surprising is all." Alfyn replied with a smile of his own.

The dancer turned her gaze back towards the fire. "Thank you, Alfyn."

"For what?"

"Thank you for getting angry on my behalf. You rarely act like this, so I know it's genuine. That compassion of yours is one of the things I love most about you." Primrose chuckled, leaning her head against his shoulder once more. "I do feel that way, you know? The rage is always there; I could never forget it. However, I choose to keep it deep within. So when I need it, at the most critical moment, I can rely on it."

"You sure it's not cause you've gotten used to it?" Alfyn asked in a concerned tone.

The dancer nodded. "No, that's definitely part of it. But it's fine, because now I have you. Someone I can trust who will be resentful in my stead."

"Shucks, I'll do my best." Alfyn grinned.

Primrose nodded. "Mmm. I know you will."

Alfyn let out a satisfied chuckle before taking a quick look at the hourglass beside him. The sand was nearly finished trickling down to the bottom. Alfyn guessed that the two of them only had a few more minutes left at most.

"Hmm, by the way, Alfyn. You said you were serious about starting a family together, right?" Primrose hummed mischievously, releasing their joined hands and leaning back gently on her arms.

"Y-yeah. Why?" Alfyn responded nervously, wary of the dancer's teasing tone.

"You know what that implies, correct?" Primrose smirked.

The apothecary scratched his chin. "Uh, not really. Guessin' I'm missing something here?"

"Well, in order to start a family, we would have to have a child together, yes?" The dancer said slowly, which only made her playful tone that much more apparent.

"I mean, duh! I'm not an idiot, Prim. Where are ya going with th—"

"Sex, Alfyn. I'm referring to having sex."

Nothing in the world could have prepared Alfyn for that answer. Unlike most of his recent embarrassed reactions, this one was immediate. The apothecary's cheeks flushed a deep red, which was brought out even further by the glow of the campfire. If he wasn't as tired as he was, Alfyn would have probably yelled out some sort of gibberish and woken up the rest of their companions. Instead, his words came out as a bubbling mess, making him feel even more foolish than usual.

"Huh!? S-s-sex!? Wha—I, I didn't…Shucks!" Alfyn exclaimed sheepishly.

"Peace, Alfyn. Deep breaths now; we've discussed this. We wouldn't want you passing out over the fire." Primrose smiled innocently.

"O-oh, yeah. That's right." Alfyn nodded, taking in a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. That said, he was breathing in and out so quickly that it seemed to be having the opposite effect.

"Goodness, you're like a puppy Alfyn. It seems you are still far too innocent for your own good." Primrose claimed. "You haven't changed at all."

"Yes I have! It just—you can't just bring something like that up so easily!" The apothecary protested, crossing his arms across his chest.

The dancer rolled her eyes. "Why not? It's a perfectly normal conversation to have between two people in a relationship."

"I mean, yeah. But…"

"But what? Hmm?"

"Well, you know, all the stuff we just talked about. You've been through a lot, and I don't wanna make you uncomfortable." Alfyn responded, making sure to choose his words carefully. "Sex…is something I didn't think we'd touch on so quickly."

"That's fair, but I find it hard to believe that it hasn't at least crossed your mind." Primrose nodded. "Have you never thought about being intimate with me before?"

Alfyn shook his head. "Okay, now that's _really_ not fair, Prim. I ain't answering that."

"Oh? That tells me much more than if you had actually answered my question." Primrose remarked casually, which only pushed Alfyn's distress even further.

"Shucks, Prim. I—"

The apothecary stopped speaking as soon as he saw a teasing smile slowly starting to form itself on the dancer's face. Primrose was trying her best, but it was clear that she wasn't going to be able to hide her amusement for much longer.

"You're messin' with me." Alfyn pouted childishly, turning his face away for Primrose and sulking his shoulders down in defeat.

Primrose giggled. "You're such an easy target, Alfyn. I can't help myself."

Alfyn huffed. "Hmph, yeah. Alright. Here I am tryna be all courteous and gentlemanly about us, and you're just makin' it a big ol' joke—"

For what seemed like the millionth time, Alfyn was once again cut short of finishing his sentence by Primrose. However, this time the dancer did it by pulling him into a firm kiss, one that the two didn't often get to share with each other around the company of their companions.

One of the reasons why Alfyn never focused on the physical aspect of their relationship was because they hadn't had the opportunity. It hadn't been very long since they had left Clearbrook, and he learned fairly quickly that moments of privacy were rare on the road. Besides, the little exchanges between the two of them were more than enough for him. Alfyn's main concern was making sure that Primrose felt happy and comfortable at all times.

That said, it wasn't like he didn't enjoy it. Right now, Alfyn was thanking the lucky stars above that he had been forced to stay up late.

After a few exceedingly long seconds, the dancer pulled away gently, forming her lips into a gentle smile. "Better?"

"…Don't think that'll work every time." Alfyn mumbled incoherently.

Primrose laughed. "You're adorable, Alfyn. I know it's your first experience with love, but please don't worry so much about me. Trust me when I tell you that everything is going to be fine. As I said before, just enjoy it."

"Yeah, okay. Sure. I can do that." Alfyn nodded, before taking on a sincere expression. "Guess I'm all worked up cause it's my first time feeling like this."

"Indeed. In some aspects, this is my first experience with it as well." Primrose chuckled, leaning herself lazily against the apothecary.

"The first, and hopefully, the last."

That comment earned the apothecary another quick kiss on the cheek, which felt almost as good as the previous one. It wasn't like Primrose to be so openly romantic, but the gentle breeze and the warm blanket of the fire seemed to have opened her feelings up just enough to make tonight special.

"As for the topic of sex, why don't we just let it play out naturally? As we usually do." Primrose smiled, meeting Alfyn's eyes with her own. "I am sure when the time comes, it will feel right."

Alfyn smiled in return. "Yeah, you're right. No reason to make a big deal outta it."

The dancer nuzzled her head against his shoulder. "Mhmm. Now, with that said, it seems that your shift is over. Let's wake up Cyrus and turn in for the night."

"Ah, you go first. I'll join ya in a bit. Won't be too long."

Primrose was so tired that she didn't question why he wanted to stay up past his shift, which was uncharacteristic of him. Standing up first, Alfyn helped her up with his hand and slowly escorted her to their tent. Part of him wanted to get in with her, but after their conversation, he was feeling pretty good. He had enough energy to have one more conversation at the very least, and coincidentally, there was one that needed to be had.

By the time Alfyn returned to his seat around the fire with Cyrus, the dancer had already fallen asleep. Her soft breathing was so quiet that it was barely noticeable, but for Alfyn, it was the only sound that mattered.

The conversation with the professor, surprisingly, ended up going fairly well. Cyrus was even more hopeless at romance than he was, but his feelings were strong and genuine. It didn't take much time for Alfyn to see that. It wouldn't be long now until the apothecary and the dancer weren't the only ones in a relationship amongst their group. Knowing the professor, it'd be sooner rather than later.

For Ophilia's sake, Alfyn hoped that was the case.

When Alfyn finally managed to drag himself inside his tent, he accidentally bumped his foot against the dancer's side. Alfyn hoped that the gentle nudge wouldn't be enough to wake her up, but unfortunately, Primrose was a light sleeper. For a second, the apothecary was terrified, because he knew all too well how the young woman typically reacted to being woken up.

This time, however, turned out well for him.

Because when her sleepy, half-lidded eyes met his, the words that came out of her mouth were enough to nearly move him to tears.

"Welcome back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - It has been quite a while my friends. When I last posted un update, I said that I would be taking a hiatus. I just didn't expect it to take this long. So allow me to thank you again for being patient.
> 
> That said, it's good to be back! For those who were expecting this chapter to be Alfyn's Chapter 3, I hope this fluff-filled update was a pleasant surprise. I will be talking about my plans for the fic moving forward in depth next time, but for now just know that I will be working on this regularly once again. Expect the next update to come sooner rather than later. You can hold me to that.
> 
> Instead, I wanted to take the time to extend my thanks to my readers. I will be recognizing those who have expressed their direct support to How Fortunate by name, but I want you all to know that each and everyone of you are important to me. If you didn't know, this fic is posted on both and AO3, so I will be separating my followers into two sections below.
> 
> On FanFiction: Thank you to BeingOfGrey, Bigaroo, The Lazy Poet, ThickRumpyPumpy, keyrules200, mibr222, shiny durant, yorukakusaku, and hitsuzen0401 for your support. I can't thank you enough.
> 
> On AO3: Thank you to A_nony_moose, Lucis_Truth_Abyss, Keyreads20, Argen_Lobo_Ridder, Dreemurr00, Black_Tao93, TiredAcademic, SapphireSpear, Cherri_Pop, DigitBuster, Beththeawkward, StarryNox, shadowjourney15, Yore, isa_bebelle, Apolleh, and fireleaf52 for your support. Again, I can't thank you enough.
> 
> Finally, I'd like to give special thanks to the following people: GameAnime, Oricalle, SatishoN, kohaku_xx, Rie, floweringlight, and Louie Yang. At one point in time you all made me smile and motivated to write this story further. I hope that you guys enjoy the fic moving forward, because in my mind you guys are a part of it.
> 
> Alfyn, Primrose, and myself hope to see you all next time. Have a fantastic and fortunate day, and be sure to stay healthy. Ciao.


	12. Heavy

Alfyn was not in a good mood.

At all.

It'd been a very long time since the apothecary had felt this way. His hurried steps and the sour scowl on his face made it perfectly clear where his mind was at right now. He wasn't angry enough to make a big deal out of it, but he wasn't exactly jumping for joy either. To put it in simple terms, Alfyn was pissed off.

And it looked like he wasn't the only one.

"Why, I never! How can he just leave that poor man to die!?" Tressa huffed loudly, walking beside Alfyn with a similarly brisk pace to her steps.

"You can say that again, Tress! A man who turns his back on the sick and sufferin' has no right to call himself an apothecary!" Alfyn barked back in response, somewhat proud that his metaphorical little sister was feeling just as annoyed as he was.

How did the saying go? Birds of the same feather fly together?

Eh, something like that.

The group had arrived in Saintsbridge early this morning, eager to finally get some rest after what had been several days of rough travel. Unfortunately, almost all of them wanted to spend their well-earned leisure time in different ways. The older members of their group, Olberic and Cyrus, had made it apparent that they wanted to go to the inn immediately and had left the party shortly after their arrival. Primrose, H'aanit, and Therion, the introverts of the group, had ironically decided to head towards the tavern, likely seeking alcohol to help relieve some of their mental and physical stress.

That left the apothecary with Tressa and Ophilia, and together the trio formed what Alfyn would consider the extroverts of the group. Obviously, Tressa was a firm member of that category, but Ophilia was surprisingly extroverted as well. While the cleric wasn't the most outgoing person you might meet on any given day, it was clear that she preferred to socialize rather than keep to herself. That said, she was the second youngest of the group, so maybe it wasn't that surprising after all.

After grabbing a quick snack at the nearest shop, the group of three had decided to wander around the city for a bit before going to the cathedral so that Ophilia could perform the kindling. After what had been ten excruciatingly long months for the young cleric, she was finally going to complete her quest. Alfyn could barely contain his excitement for her.

The day had started so well…

So how did it all go south so quickly?

Well, coming across with an apothecary that thought it was okay to let a wounded man slowly bleed to death on the streets would do that. While he was glad that he had found Miguel when he did, Alfyn's encounter with the enigmatic apothecary had not been a welcome one. What originally should have been a day of peace and quiet was quickly turning into one of negativity and displeasure. Not just for him, but for Tressa and Ophilia as well.

Why was every apothecary that he had met so far during his travels so corrupt? At least this new apothecary, whatever his name was, didn't seem all too bad compared to the competition. Vanessa was a vile woman, one that fully deserved her lengthy sentence behind bars. Unlike her, this man simply appeared to be misguided, rather than rotten to the core. However, that did not excuse his behavior. No apothecary should ever turn away from a man who needed emergency medical treatment.

If Alfyn hadn't come along when he did, then Miguel would have died right then and there. The young apothecary could only shiver at the thought.

Right now, the only thing that could calm him down was a large tankard filled up to the rim with his favorite mead. If there was one thing about himself that Alfyn always took pride in, it was the fact that almost all of his problems could be solved with a few rounds of fresh alcohol. Not exactly the most graceful way to cool one's temper, but it worked well enough for him.

So the apothecary wasn't exactly surprised that his first instinct after treating Miguel's wound was to make a beeline for the tavern, where he would hopefully find all the alcohol that he needed. Getting drunk had not been at the top of the apothecary's list of things he wanted to do today, but right now it was necessary. Otherwise, he'd probably spend the rest of the day wallowing in his foul mood.

Besides, he had both Tressa and Ophilia to keep him from going overboard. He'd be alright.

At the pace that he and Tressa were walking at, it didn't take long for them to reach the tavern doors. Alfyn reached out for the handle, gripping it tightly and taking in a deep breath before opening the door. He had to make sure to calm down a little before going inside. Letting his negativity spread to others was the one thing that Alfyn absolutely did not want to do.

Once he felt a bit more composed, the apothecary slowly pushed the door open and gestured to Tressa and Ophilia to head inside. Alfyn followed them in with the best smile that he could put on at the moment, eager to see Primrose's face after what had been a few rough hours for him. She was the only person on the entire continent that had the same calming effect that alcohol gave him, which honestly wasn't that much of a surprise. Even before they had started their relationship, her mellow personality and soothing voice were almost intoxicating for him.

Unfortunately, Alfyn's first reaction as soon as he stepped into the tavern was one of concern, not excitement. There seemed to be a crowd gathered around the closest table to the door, one filled with faces of worry and unease that the apothecary was unfortunately well-acquainted with. Before he had a chance to speak up and ask what was going on, Alfyn heard a familiar voice calling out for help. It was Primrose, who was crouched down on the floor next to an older woman who appeared to be holding her child.

The problem was the child's body was limp, and his chest wasn't rising.

Immediately Alfyn sprinted towards the crowd, pushing and shoving his way through the crowd surrounding the boy and his mother. Thankfully, people started moving out of the way for him, likely understanding who he was and his intention to help. As soon as he broke through the wall of people, he slid down onto the floor next to the boy and met the mother's panicked eyes.

"Hey, what happened here!?" Alfyn shouted urgently, his expression stern considering the situation.

"M-my son! H-he just collapsed!" The woman responded, her face wrought with fear. "We've been yelling for help, but... Oh, look at him! He's dying!"

"There's an apothecary in the house! Let me see him at once!" Alfyn yelled, turning his gaze towards the crowd. "Give me some space!"

"T-truly…?" The woman gasped.

"Name's Alfyn. Yours?"

"Daphne. My son's name is Timothy."

The apothecary nodded in response before quickly turning his attention towards the young boy, whose condition was getting worse by the second. Thankfully, he was starting to breathe again, which meant there was a lesser chance that his life was in immediate danger. Still, Alfyn had to find the problem soon, or this could turn out ugly.

"Hmm…doesn't seem to be a case of food poisoning." Alfyn thought internally, the gears in his head spinning faster than green grass through a goose. "But then what could it be?"

"Does your son suffer from any afflictions or ailments, ma'am?" Alfyn asked after a moment of deliberation.

"No…at least, none that I know of." Daphne murmured, looking down in dismay.

The apothecary sharply clicked his tongue and took another look at the boy. "Damn it all! Think, Alfyn…think!" He cursed inside his head, running through countless possibilities in the span of a single second.

"Where's the patient?"

The unknown voice behind Alfyn snapped him out of his panicked thoughts, causing him to turn around to see who it belonged to. He found himself face-to-face with the apothecary that he had come across earlier; the one that had left Miguel for dead. Alfyn temper rose for a fraction of a second before he realized why he was here. Good man or not, he was still an apothecary.

One that was here to help.

The man was much older than Alfyn, but his tired eyes and weathered expression made him seem much older than he likely was. He was dressed plainly in dark gray pants and a thick black coat that had clearly seen better years. His hair was black and aging, matching the colors of his outfit perfectly. Just like Alfyn, the man also had an apothecary satchel strung over his shoulder, one that was somehow even more tattered than his own.

If the situation wasn't as dire as it was, Alfyn might've let out a chuckle. If there was anything that he had learned during his journey as an apothecary, it was that the best way to gauge the true capabilities of an apothecary was to see just how worn their satchel was.

Based on that philosophy, this man was a damn good apothecary.

Alfyn just didn't want to admit it.

"Huh? You're that sham from before." Alfyn said rigidly, narrowing his eyes at the older man.

"You again. Well, as for whether or not I'm a sham, you can judge for yourself." The man responded curtly before crouching down next to him. He took a quick look-over at the boy before turning to Alfyn with a firm expression. "What can you tell me?"

"No existing ailments or afflictions that are known. Wasn't breathing when I got here. Rapid heartbeat. Throat felt a bit tight."

"…I see."

The man took another look at the boy, studying him carefully with focused eyes. After a few seconds, he reached into his satchel and rummaged his hand around rigorously. Alfyn's eyes widened as he watched the man pull out a concoction that he had never seen before, which was something that rarely happened nowadays.

"Seems to be a paroxysm of sorts. Doubtless brought on by something he ate." The older apothecary sighed in relief. "Sweet peas are known to cause this reaction in some people. Here, this should set things right."

The man brought the bottle close to the boy's lips and masterfully let the liquid flow slowly into his mouth. The child swallowed the medicine almost immediately, and Alfyn finally felt his heart start to slow down.

It didn't take very long for the young boy to wake up after the administration of the medicine that the older apothecary had given him. Both Alfyn and what seemed like the entire tavern let out a huge sigh of relief when Daphne wrapped her arms around her son, clutching him tightly after what had likely been one of the most terrifying moments of her life. Alfyn wouldn't ever know if Timothy had been close to death or not, but for a mother, situations like these always felt that way.

An apothecary's responsibilities were not just limited to curing illnesses and treating wounds. They also needed to make sure that the patient and their families understood what had happened, and help alleviate any concerns that they had moving forward.

So when the man took a few seconds to make sure that both Daphne and Timothy were alright after everything had calmed down, Alfyn knew that he was the real deal. Not only had he handled everything perfectly, but he had done so without a single moment of hesitation or doubt. As much as he didn't like it, Alfyn couldn't lie to himself.

This man, whoever he was, was a better apothecary than him.

"Thank you for your help. You're quick on your feet." The man said, turning towards Alfyn with a neutral expression on his face.

Alfyn nodded in response. "Don't mention it."

The man took a few steps towards the exit before looking over his shoulder, meeting Alfyn's eyes once more. "The name's Ogen, traveling apothecary. And I trust you've learned not to judge a man before you know him."

Alfyn wasn't able to form a response before the apothecary walked out of the tavern, leaving the young man with a sour taste in his mouth. Alfyn clenched his fists and gritted his teeth for a brief moment before letting out a frustrated sigh. He looked up at the ceiling with a defeated smile, one that he hadn't come out for a quite some time.

"Well, shucks…never seen a sham as good as that."

*

"Alfyn."

The apothecary came to a stop and turned around to face Primrose, who was currently helping him with his work around town. She was staring at him with a rather peculiar expression, one that Alfyn hadn't ever seen before. Her eyes were delicate yet firm, glowing softly with both confidence and concern. Alfyn couldn't quite explain it, but for whatever reason the way she was looking at him made him feel secure. It was almost as if she was instilling him with her own confidence, and she was doing so without even saying a single word.

Primrose had a knack for that.

After the ordeal at the tavern, Alfyn had decided to take a look around town to see if anyone needed help. While he appreciated the fact that Ogen had managed to save the boy, Alfyn couldn't shake off the feeling that he had lost to him. The apothecary was a competitive person by nature, and the fact that he had lost in a clash of his profession had left him feeling restless. So he did what any overly competitive apothecary would do, which was scour the city in hopes of finding as many people as possible who needed his services.

Was it childish? Yes.

Did he care? No, not really.

And apparently, neither did the dancer. It was clear that she was more than willing to assist him with his work, and had walked beside Alfyn as he roamed the entire city without a single complaint. Alfyn didn't necessarily need an assistant to work comfortably, but knowing that she was doing her best to support him gave him that extra push that he needed whenever things got tough.

He'd have to thank her later.

"Yeah, Prim?" Alfyn asked casually, waiting for Primrose to close the door of the house that belonged to the elderly woman that he had just treated.

The dancer bit her lip. "Are you sure helping Miguel is a good idea? The rumors about him are quite concerning."

Alfyn looked down at the ground as doubt started to creep into his thoughts. He couldn't deny it; the information that the elderly woman had given him about Miguel was troubling him. He was a thief. One that was likely on the run and wanted by the local militia. Not to mention that wasn't even the worst of it.

There were rumors that he had killed a man.

They were only rumors, sure, but it wasn't like those kinds of whispers just up and popped out of nowhere. The apothecary didn't want to believe them, but when rumors were this severe, they couldn't just be ignored. He was going to have to confront Miguel about them later. Alfyn just hoped that whatever answer he gave him would be enough.

Before Alfyn could respond to Primrose, he heard a voice call out to him.

"So we meet again."

Alfyn turned around to find Ogen walking towards him. Surprisingly, the older man approached him with a smile. That said, his smile didn't seem all that sincere. Rather, it was one of brazen confidence, an expression that an older brother might give his younger sibling after a game of tag.

"Sorry, no time to chat. I have a patient waiting." Alfyn said firmly while crossing his arms.

"Heh. Surely you don't mean to save that scoundrel's life." Ogen chuckled, closing his eyes briefly.

Alfyn raised an eyebrow. "So you knew."

"I did. He claimed to be a humble farmer, but the dagger concealed beneath his cloak told me otherwise. There was also far more blood on him than that from his wound. Nor did his nervous, flickering eyes do him any favors." Ogen nodded. "No, it was clear why he hadn't sought treatment for his wound. He's a man on the run."

Alfyn felt like he had just gotten punched in the gut. It looked like he didn't need to confront his patient about it after all. Based on Ogen's observations, the rumors about Miguel were true. What made the apothecary feel even worse was that he knew Ogen wasn't lying. He had no reason to. Besides, Alfyn had seen what the older apothecary was talking about with his own two eyes. Miguel had kept all of this from him…

Why?

Alfyn clenched his fists, only to release them almost immediately. "Still…just cause someone's a thief, that means you leave them to die?"

Ogen nodded once more. "I said it once, and I'll say it again. Some lives are worth saving…others, not so much."

"Bollocks! We're apothecaries, not gods. It ain't our place to judge!" Alfyn snapped, shaking his head vigorously. "We have a duty to help anyone who needs us! Am I wrong?" He stepped towards the older apothecary with open arms, closing the distance between the two of them.

Although it was barely noticeable, Ogen's eyes widened slightly. If Alfyn hadn't received months of practice on noticing small shifts in a person's expression from Primrose, then he probably wouldn't have caught it.

"…Show me one of your tonics."

"Huh? Why should I do that?"

"Call it curiosity. I want to see your skills for myself." Ogen shrugged. "You impressed me at the tavern, but responding quickly to those situations is just one of many skills that an apothecary must have."

"Heh. Well, if you insist, here. Lookin's free." Alfyn grinned confidently, taking one of his best tonics out from his apothecary satchel and handing it over to Ogen.

The older apothecary took the bottle from Alfyn and brought it up close to his eyes, studying it carefully as if it were one of his concoctions. Alfyn stood by patiently, watching Ogen examine his tonic with patience and respect. Even if the two of them weren't exactly on good terms, they were still fellow apothecaries. No matter the circumstances, there would always be mutual respect among those in their field.

"It is unrefined…but adequate. Made with talent and confidence." Ogen smiled, handing the liquid medicine back to Alfyn after a few moments.

The younger apothecary couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. Being acknowledged by an apothecary that was better than him meant a lot. It didn't matter that it had come from Ogen of all people. Hell, if anything, that made it mean even more to Alfyn.

"Hear me, Alfyn."

Alfyn looked up and met Ogen's gaze. For some reason, Alfyn knew that he needed to hear this man's next words. He might not like it, but right now he needed to listen to what he had to say.

"I can see the passion in your eyes, so I'll not mince words." Ogen claimed, the tone of his voice tightening slightly. "Let that man die."

"You can't—"

"Before you act, ask yourself what it truly means to save a man's life." Ogen continued, walking past Alfyn without even sending a slight glance his way. "Especially the life of a killer."

Before he walked away out of sight, Ogen sent Primrose a firm nod, acknowledging her presence out of courtesy. The dancer waved back at him casually, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before turning her gaze away. It was a simple exchange, one that lasted no more than a single second.

However, that exchange was all that Primrose needed to spot the hidden feeling behind Ogen's eyes. It was a sensation that she was all too familiar with. An emotion that she tried her best to hide, but ultimately failed at every turn.

Pain.

*

"MIGUEL!"

If Alfyn was in the right state of mind, then he would have been shocked at just how violently he spat out his patient's name. No, that wasn't quite right, now was it?

_Former_ patient.

The red-haired thief flinched slightly at the sound of his name, most likely surprised at just how quickly he had been caught. He recovered quickly, however, and turned around to meet Alfyn's eyes with a wicked grin.

"…Alfyn. Fancy meetin' you here."

Now that he wasn't feigning innocence, Alfyn noticed just how thick the thief's accent really was. It was the same accent that most bandits spoke with, one that was easily recognizable all across Orsterra. If he hadn't been so willing to trust Miguel, then Alfyn would have seen right through his facade. But the apothecary wanted to believe so badly that what he was doing was the right thing, that he completely ignored all the warning signs in front of him.

Alfyn's temper flared as he remembered everything that Miguel had lied to him about. His teeth began to grind against themselves rigidly, and the longer that he stared into the thief's sleazy eyes, the tighter his fists became.

The apothecary could feel his anger beginning to overwhelm him. He was losing control quickly, and that was something that Alfyn had never experienced before. His emotions right now were completely in unknown territory, and whatever was about to rear its ugly head terrified him. However, right before Alfyn felt something inside him snap, he heard something.

Laughter. More accurately, Miguel's laughter.

Alfyn felt all the rage inside him instantly disappear, only to be replaced with utter disbelief and horror. He looked down at the ground, eyes wide in complete shock. He couldn't believe it; he didn't want to believe it.

Was he enjoying this? Really?

Was that even possible?

The apothecary's eyes immediately fell towards Timothy, the young boy that he and Ogen had managed to save in the tavern the previous day. He was lying on the ground behind Miguel, clutching his thigh with both of his hands and shaking softly as he cried quietly into his shoulder. Alfyn was far away, but he could still see the blood slowly trickling down the boy's leg onto the ground below. Unsurprisingly, the tip of one of Miguel's spears was also dripping red, matching the crimson bloodlust swirling in his eyes.

"Heh heh. The brat wouldn't shut up, so I stuck him one to give him somethin' to really cry about." Miguel chuckled, looking over his shoulder at the boy.

"You low-down pile of filth! Move aside and let me see the boy's wound." Alfyn growled while taking a single step forward.

"Not another bleedin' step!" Miguel shouted, catching Alfyn by surprise. "As pleased as I'd be to see you fix up me golden goose, somethin' tells me yer just going t'up and sneak away with him. Can't have that, now can we?"

Miguel pointed his other spear towards the child while narrowing his eyes threateningly in Alfyn's general direction. The message was clear: take another step and the boy gets hurt. Carefully, Alfyn slowly took a few steps back. He wasn't stupid. As long as Miguel had a hostage, there was nothing he could do but bide his time and wait for the right opportunity. Thankfully, he knew that it would come eventually.

Because he wasn't here alone.

Right on cue, Alfyn heard strong, speedy footsteps approaching him from behind, and the corners of Miguel's mouth immediately curved downwards. The apothecary watched as Linde leapt over him, landing gracefully in between the two men before snarling ferociously at Miguel. H'aanit walked up next to Alfyn and immediately drew her bow, nocking an arrow faster than he could even blink. Reluctantly, the thief brought his spear back down, knowing full well that an arrow fired from a Woodlands' huntress would travel much faster than his spear.

His hostage was a hostage no more.

It didn't take long for Alfyn's two other companions to arrive. The first one flickered onto the battlefield in an instant, appearing from the shadows the way only a true master thief could. The other slowly walked up beside him, hips swaying almost venomously against the fabric of her dancer's attire. Primrose and Therion drew their daggers calmly, letting the steel of their blades flash directly in front of Miguel's eyes. All of a sudden, the red-haired thief didn't seem quite as confident as he was before.

"I'll say it again, Miguel. Let me see him." Alfyn demanded, raising his voice slightly. "The boy could die!"

Miguel clicked his tongue. "And what of it if he does!? I've got four mouths to feed back at home!"

The apothecary narrowed his eyes. "…I thought it was three."

"Heh, whoops. I should learn to keep me stories straight." Miguel chuckled, letting his laughter rise uncouthly as any other bandit would. "Ye actually believed I had a bloody family!? I don't even know where me next meal is coming from!"

Alfyn felt Primrose tense up next to him. If this were any other occasion, he would have likely told her to stay composed. However, the apothecary had no right to say that currently. If anyone needed to get a hold of themselves right now, it was him.

"Hah, yer so soddin' gullible it almost moves me to tears!" Miguel continued to laugh, mocking Alfyn with a sneer nastier than the sewers that the thief had probably crawled out of. "But I owe ye one, Alfyn. Thanks to ye, I'm able to get back to _honest_ work."

The thief reared his head back and let out an almost maniacal laugh. "Now ain't that a quip if ye ever heard one! Ahahaha!"

It was at that moment that Alfyn felt all the emotions inside him start to reel themselves back in. The apothecary felt in control for what seemed like the first time since he had arrived in Saintsbridge, and he knew why as well. This wasn't the first time that he had experienced something like this. It had also happened in Goldshore.

His confrontation with Miguel was going eerily similar to his standoff with Vanessa, and just like before, Alfyn lost all hope in Miguel.

But there was one major difference. With Vanessa, Alfyn genuinely felt that one day she might be able to make things right. It was the reason why he decided to use the slumberthorn on her; to help her see the error of her ways. In his eyes, Vanessa couldn't ever be redeemed, but at least she could atone. Alfyn genuinely believed that, and so he decided to give her a second chance to walk the right path.

Miguel, on the other hand, was irredeemable. He was a psychopath, one that needed to be stopped right here and now. And of course, Alfyn had to be the one to do it. It was his responsibility. Whether or not that was fair to him didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was making sure Timothy was safe.

That was it.

So, Alfyn did something that he had never done before, and really hoped he would never have to do again.

He gave up on a life.

"…I give." Alfyn whispered, closing his eyes with a sigh.

Miguel raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"This is my fault for fixing you. But that's why I'm gonna set things right! By my own hand!" Alfyn yelled, his eyes glowing bright with determination. "Step aside, Miguel!"

"Heh. Sure that's smart, Alfyn? I stretch the truth from time to time, but I wasn't lyin' about bein' a mercenary." Miguel grinned, gripping his spears tightly. "Miguel Twinspears has killed a hundred men if he's killed a dozen. Soldiers, mind you, not mollycoddles totin' a bag full o' weeds."

Alfyn brought out his hatchet. "I know how bad your wound is. You won't last ten minutes, Miguel."

The thief laughed. "We'll see 'bout that, eh? Fair warnin', Greengrass. Consider it thanks for patchin' me up."

"Oh yeah? How generous of you."

"Ye know what they say, what comes 'round goes 'round." Miguel shrugged, only to swiftly enter into his battle stance. "Hear me, Alfyn! None of yer potions or bandages will patch ye up when I'm done with ye! GAH!"

Alfyn charged forward, catching one of Miguel's spears with his hatchet. The two men locked eyes, and for a brief moment, Alfyn was heartbroken. Because when he looked into the eyes of the man across from him, he knew that Miguel had completely forgotten their promise. A promise made during a fake friendship, but a promise nevertheless. It might not mean anything now, but the apothecary couldn't help but think back.

Since it's the first promise that he had ever broken.

_"We can raise a glass once you're all healed up. Deal?"_

_"Aye, Alfyn... I'd like that."_

*

_Drip._

_Drip._

Primrose held back a sob. And then another. The third one managed to break through her walls, and tears began to stream down the dancer's face. Knowing that it was pointless to hold back now, she decided to just let the teardrops flow.

Had long had it been since she had felt like this?

Therion and Olberic turned towards the dancer with grim expressions on their faces, hesitant to respond to the dancer given her fragile state of emotions. Of course, the two men were also distressed, which wasn't surprising whatsoever. This was the lowest that the group of eight travelers had been since they had all started traveling together. Not a single person was feeling all that hopeful at the moment.

Primrose was no exception.

The entire group felt as if they had been punched in the gut after what had happened today with Miguel, especially since the person who usually lifted everyone's spirits after something like this happened was the one who had been hit the hardest. Alfyn hadn't even been given time to grieve after the battle, as the apothecary had to quickly carry Timothy back to town so that he could treat his wound. Everyone had waited for news on the boy's condition with bated breaths, doing their best to console the boy's distraught mother as Alfyn tended to him in his home.

After what had been several agonizing hours, the apothecary finally came outside to brief them on the situation. According to Alfyn, the young boy was going to make a full recovery. However, the trauma from the incident would likely haunt the family for many years to come. Even though Timothy seemed to be doing well after he had woken up, the shock from the incident would most certainly hit him later on.

The dancer understood that better than anyone. She had experienced it firsthand, after all.

Alfyn had immediately retired to their room after returning to the inn, clearly wanting to be left alone after everything that had happened. Although she desperately wanted to be there with him, Primrose knew that the apothecary needed some time to himself. She just hoped that he would be back to normal after a good night's rest.

Everything was going to be okay. At least, that was what she had thought two hours ago.

Then everything shattered in the blink of an eye.

Lianna suddenly showing up in Saintsbridge out of nowhere had certainly been unexpected. Knowing the state that her father was in, Primrose knew that whatever she had to share with Ophilia probably wasn't good news at all. That said, the dancer would never have expected that Lianna would drug her own sister to sleep before leaving without so much as an explanation. The idea that Lianna would attack Ophilia was so unthinkable that the group hadn't even bothered to check on her when she hadn't come back to the inn at a reasonable time. They had all just assumed that the two sisters were spending some much-needed time together after their father's death.

It wasn't until Bishop Bartolo came running into the inn with a frantic expression on his face that the group knew that something had gone terribly wrong. They had found Ophilia in one of the cathedral's rooms in a deep sleep, and after analyzing the scene it became clear that Lianna had spiked her drink. Thankfully, Alfyn had gone with them and was able to quickly whip up an elixir that somehow managed to wake the cleric up.

Unfortunately, the damage had already been done.

For whatever reason, Lianna had stolen Aelfric's Lanthorn, and with it any hope of finishing the kindling. If Ophilia wanted to complete her quest and reclaim her sister, she had to journey to Wispermill, where according to her she would find Lianna. The problem was that Wispermill was completely on the opposite side of the continent. If the cleric wanted to catch up to her sister in time, she would have to leave for Wispermill first thing tomorrow morning.

Which meant that once again, the group would have to split up.

Therion, Olberic, and H'aanit all had urgent business in the Sunlands, and so the three would head there alongside one other person to quickly take care of their business. Cyrus had made it very clear that he had every intention of accompanying Ophilia and outright refused to accept any other alternative. Considering that Alfyn and Primrose were inseparable, it was decided that Tressa would accompany the other three to the Sunlands, while the two couples of the group would head for Wispermill.

The two groups would reconvene after a few months at the Ravus Manor in Bolderfall, where Therion was sure that Cordelia would accommodate either group while they waited for the rest of their companions.

It was a solid plan, one that was put together using logic and common sense.

But that didn't make it hurt any less.

Primrose wasn't surprised when the tears began to flow, because the family that she had been looking for her entire life was about to be separated. Sure, everyone would still be traveling with three of their companions at the very least, but her mind couldn't ignore all the things that would be lost.

Primrose and Alfyn were going to be separated from Tressa and Olberic. Alfyn was going to be separated from Therion. The dancer was going to be separated from H'aanit.

Ophilia, after losing her father, was going to be separated from Olberic, the only other father figure that she had.

"I hate this." Primrose choked, slamming her fist against the wall. The dancer stood up from her seat on the couch, looking across the inn's lobby at Olberic and Therion. The two men met her eyes briefly, before steering their gaze back towards the ground.

"Every time, every _fucking_ time there's something good in my life, it just has to be taken away from me." Primrose snapped, looking up at the ceiling with tears still staining her eyes. "Am I not even allowed this? No, of course not. My life is one absent of love. Isn't that right, hmm?"

Olberic shook his head. "That's not true, Primrose. You know it isn't."

"Why isn't it, Olberic!? Tell me!" The dancer shouted aggressively, marching towards the knight with curled fists.

"You know exactly why!"

Therion's sudden yell made both Primrose and Olberic take a step back, eyes wide with shock. The dancer and knight were flabbergasted at the sudden outburst from the thief. He was someone who never let his emotions flare, no matter what the situation was. The fact that his frustration had boiled over showed that he was feeling even worse than she was.

And then Primrose realized why.

Aside from her, Therion was the closest to Alfyn in their group. Primrose knew that he depended on his friendship with the apothecary much more than he let on. He might not show it often, but the thief probably cared for Alfyn's well-being just as much as she did. Except the dancer was going to stay with Alfyn, and Therion would be forced to leave him.

And here she was, dismissing her relationship with him almost as if it didn't matter. Primrose immediately felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

Therion gritted his teeth. "If you really believe what you just said, then you don't deserve him."

"I-I didn't—" Primrose stammered.

"Yeah, I know. You didn't _mean_ it, right? A lot of people say that, and most of the time it's after they say something they know is true, but wanna take back." Therion grunted, meeting the dancer's eyes with a devious smirk. "So then, Primrose, what type of person are you? Are you different from everyone else, or are you going to be the next person that I thought I cared about to disappoint me?

"Therion, that's enough!" Olberic boomed, sending the thief a pointed glare.

"Shut up, Olberic. She needs to hear this, and you know it. I'm sick and tired of seeing her act like the Primrose from eight months ago!" Therion growled, meeting the knight's eyes head-on.

"Show some restraint! Shouting at each other like this isn't going to help anyo—!" The knight reprimanded, stopping after feeling the dancer's hand on his shoulder.

"No, Olberic. It's alright." Primrose said softly. "Therion is right. I…shouldn't have said what I said."

"Damn right you shouldn't have." The thief scoffed, crossing his arms along his chest. "Look, I'm not trying to kick you while you're down, but just cause life hit the shithole doesn't mean you can get away with saying whatever you want."

The dancer grimaced. "Yes, I'm…well aware."

"Especially in front of me."

"Yes, I'm aware of that as well."

The thief nodded. "Good. So are you going to apologize? Cause after today that's something that'd be nice to hear right now."

"You're not the one that I need to apologize to." Primrose sighed, wiping her tears away with her arm. The dancer felt a small weight lift off of her shoulders. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it felt comforting nonetheless.

"You're a real piece of work, Twinkle Toes. Hope you know that." Therion grinned.

As soon as she saw the thief try to hide his grin, Primrose knew that all was forgiven. Even though she felt much better after being admonished by Therion, it also made her feel a bit more depressed. The fact that she would be without his company for at least a couple of months was significant. He was the only one willing to face her directly; to criticize her if she stepped out of line.

Ironically, out of all the wonderful and just people in their group, it was the shrewd thief who kept her anchored. Though, it did make some sense. Given their backgrounds, Therion was the only one who could relate to her on some level.

That wasn't exactly a good thing, but it was still appreciated.

"Thank you, both of you. I needed that. It's been a while since I've received a good scolding." The dancer chuckled, placing a hand on her hips.

The thief nodded. "Anytime. Hell, next time I'll even give you a good spanking if you want it!"

"Usually I wouldn't let such a perverted comment go without some sort of punishment, but since you just did me a favor I'll let it go." Primrose narrowed her eyes. "Don't think it'll happen again."

"Ouch. Yes, Ma'am."

Olberic sighed. "I swear, you two are like children sometimes."

"It's high time you get used to it, Olberic. Especially because you'll be traveling without Ophilia at your side from now on." Primrose remarked while pointing at Therion. "Don't think that this one and Tressa will be any less childish."

"Oh, may the gods help me." Olberic prayed, closing his eyes in dismay.

"Hey, not funny. I've been behaving myself lately." Therion huffed.

The knight's eyes widened. "If your recent behavior is what you consider well-behaved, then I don't want to know what—"

"Oh? Is Alfyn not heren with thee?"

The three travelers looked towards the stairs leading up to the rooms, only to find H'aanit gazing down at them with a raised eyebrow. The huntress had already changed into her nightwear, which wasn't surprising. Since she always woke up early to hunt, H'aanit was usually one of the first of their group to retire for the night. At first it had been a hassle for Primrose, but now it was something that she found endearing.

Add another point to the list of things she would miss about her friends.

"Alfyn? He should be in our room." Primrose answered, meeting H'aanit's gaze with her usual smile.

The huntress shook her head. "He wast not."

"Perhaps he went to the men's room by mistake instead. He was quite tired." Olberic suggested.

H'aanit shook her head once more. "He wast not there either. And it appearen that he hath left this in his room as well."

Primrose's eyes widened as the huntress raised Alfyn's apothecary satchel up into her view. Just like that, the sunken pit in her chest started to churn once again. Alfyn never went anywhere without his apothecary satchel; especially during times like this.

What if he…?

"I'm going to look for him." Primrose announced anxiously, making her way towards the inn's front door with hurried steps. Just as she was about to head outside, however, she felt a strong grip on her shoulder.

"Wait. Let me go instead." Therion insisted, staring directly into her eyes.

The dancer frowned. "He is my significant other."

"Knowing Alfyn I don't think he'd want you to see him in his current state." The thief claimed. "Besides, he's my best friend. It's my job to pick him back up from the gravel when things get ugly. It's your job to support him when he needs it most."

"Indeed, and I'd say he needs my support now more than ever before." Primrose responded firmly.

"Exactly, so stay here and wait for him. That's the best way you can do that right now." Therion nodded, releasing his hold on the dancer.

Primrose stared directly into the thief's eyes, hoping to find something that would convince her that she was the one in the right. Instead, the dancer saw nothing but absolute certainty in Therion's gaze. Primrose had known the thief for just over ten months now, and this was the first time that she had ever seen him with this level of conviction. No, this went beyond plain confidence.

This was faith. A faith that, right now, was even stronger than hers.

Primrose wasn't quite sure what came over her at that moment. It wasn't like her to be convinced so easily, especially when it came to something this important. In the past, the dancer had always relied on herself during moments like these, because she was convinced that was the only option. Her burdens had always been her own, and no one else's.

However, despite all that…

…She still decided to let Therion go.

*

"…"

"…"

"What? You're not gonna say anything?"

"Shut up. I'm not exactly good at this kinda stuff, okay?"

"Shucks, some help you are."

"I'm a thief, not a therapist. I'm only here to make sure you don't do anything dumb."

"Hey, I'm not dumb!"

"Didn't say you were, stupid."

"You just did!"

"I called you stupid, there's a difference!"

"Well, I ain't stupid either!"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you loud and clear. No need to yell."

"You started it."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"…"

"…"

"…"

" _sniff_ … _sniff_ "

"…Hey, wanna hit the tavern? Drinks on me."

"R-really?"

"Yeah. When you need it…always."

Alfyn brough his gaze back out towards the river. His tears were still dripping down into the water, creating little ripples as they each hit the surface with a soft splash. The thief next to him said nothing, leaning casually against the bridge's railing on his back and elbows. His gaze was pointed in the opposite direction and aimed upwards towards the sky instead of the water below. For a brief moment, Alfyn swore that he saw the glimpse of a gentle smile hidden underneath his purple scarf.

Alfyn couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Then what're we waitin' for? Let's go!"

*

Alfyn didn't remember last night's events all that well.

The only thing he could recall was entering the tavern with Therion and sitting down at the bar. After that, everything else was a blur. Considering the thief was currently going through a massive hangover, it was likely that he didn't remember much either. The only thing that the apothecary knew for sure was that Therion's pockets were now much lighter than they were yesterday. It didn't seem like he wasn't feeling all too happy about that either.

Oh well. It'd make for a good story at the very least.

Surprisingly, Alfyn wasn't feeling even slightly hungover, which was something that he was incredibly thankful for. Saying goodbye to Tressa, Olberic, H'aanit, and Therion had been extremely difficult this morning, and having to do so with an aching head would have made it even more unpleasant. Instead, the apothecary had been able to say his farewells with a smile. It would be a while until he saw the four of them again, but at the very least he knew for sure that it was going to happen eventually.

That certainty was a luxury that wasn't extended to everyone in this world. As an apothecary, Alfyn knew that better than most.

Speaking of luxuries…

"Heya, Prim? Mind if I talk with ya for a sec?" Alfyn asked, turning to face the dancer beside him. "Kinda just wanna let myself ramble to get my mind off things."

The two had just made their way out of town and were following closely behind Cyrus and Ophilia, who were seemingly having a heavy conversation. The apothecary stopped walking and waited a few seconds, hoping to put some distance between the two pairs so that he wouldn't hear what the scholar and cleric were talking about. Even though he knew that they probably didn't mind, Alfyn still wanted to give them their space.

Besides, right now Alfyn just wanted to talk with Primrose alone, and he was sure that Ophilia was likely feeling the same way.

"Hmm? Oh! Y-yes, of course." Primrose stammered, meeting Alfyn's eyes with her own. Although she hid it well, the apothecary could tell that the dancer was feeling anxious.

"Haha…you're worried about me, aren't ya?" Alfyn smiled sadly, taking one of the dancer's hands into his own.

Primrose shook her head. "It's nothing important. Everything is going to be fine."

"Be honest, do you really believe that?"

Primrose's eyes widened slightly, which told the apothecary that his question had caught her by off guard. Alfyn usually wasn't this forward, but when the dancer was acting like this it was up to him to shake her out of her funk. He had learned in the past few months that Primrose responded well when he was direct with her. That said, it was quite difficult for the young man to do that for her right now, but that didn't matter to him. Alfyn was willing to do anything for her, no matter how heavy it felt.

Because he knew that Primrose was strong. Strong enough that she wouldn't ever force a weight upon him that was too heavy for him to carry.

And that was something that the two of them could always believe in.

"I…don't know. However, I do know that I have the utmost faith in you. To me, that is more than enough." The dancer proclaimed, her eyes shining with newfound confidence.

Alfyn chuckled. "Shucks. Thanks, Prim."

"Just promise me that you'll speak to me whenever you are disheartened. I don't want you to try and shoulder your burdens on your own. It's not healthy. Trust me, I know what it's like." Primrose said softly, giving their joined hands a gentle squeeze. "I'll always be there to support you, and _that's_ something that you can put your faith in."

"Yeah, I know. Do me a favor and remind me of that every now and then. You know me and my one-track mind. Stubborn as a goat sometimes." Alfyn nodded.

Primrose giggled. "Indeed. Though, that's just one of the many things I—"

The dancer stopped talking and turned her head slightly as soon as she felt someone's presence behind them. Alfyn thought it wasn't a big deal, but as soon as Primrose saw the person who was trailing them, the dancer bit her lip and slowly crossed her arms.

Now that made Alfyn a bit more concerned. Primrose didn't act like this without good reason. It only really came out whenever she was feeling hesitant or indecisive about something, emotions that the dancer scarcely felt. She was usually always unwavering and resolute in her beliefs, so if she was feeling conflicted about something then it was probably rather important.

Sure enough, he was right. Because when Alfyn saw who it was following behind them, he knew that things were about to get serious.

Ogen didn't say a single word to Alfyn as he walked towards him, trudging forward without so much as a sparing glance. Alfyn, however, did the opposite. He kept his eyes locked on the older apothecary as he passed him, completely ignoring the fact that it was ill-mannered to do so. Ogen seemed even more tired than when Alfyn had last seen him. His eyes were even more sunken than before, and Alfyn swore that he could hear the man's bones creaking with each heavy step.

How strange. For an apothecary, Ogen didn't seem to be concerned with his well-being at all. He had to know just how poor his health was.

So why wasn't he doing anything about it?

Alfyn closed his eyes. "So you're leaving this place?"

Surprisingly, he heard Ogen's footsteps come to a stop. Alfyn hadn't expected the apothecary to give him the time of day, especially after how their previous conversation had gone.

"That's right. Those who were sick are now well. My work here is done." Ogen nodded as he turned around to face Alfyn.

"…Lemme ask you something."

"Make it quick."

Alfyn let out a heavy sigh. "By saving a robber's life, I put an innocent boy's in danger. And in the end I gave in. Did what I had to do, and bloodied my own hands. I keep thinking to myself…if I had to do it over, what could I have done different?"

"Was I too naive, to do what I did?" The younger apothecary continued, directing his gaze downward. "My mind goes in circles, and I still can't find the answer."

"…Life is nothing but a series of choices. Our job's the same. We have to decide what's worth keeping, and what should be thrown away." Ogen spoke hesitantly. "You made a poor choice, plain and simple."

"…Tch."

Ogen sighed. "There was a time when I was as indiscriminate as you."

Alfyn's widened slightly. "Really? So then what happened?"

All of a sudden the older apothecary's eyes glazed over, and after standing still for a few moments his mouth slowly curved into a wistful smile. Alfyn hadn't known Ogen for very long, but he could tell that it had been quite some time since he had smiled like this. It was clear that he was reminiscing, but whatever he was reminiscing about seemed to be weighing heavily on him.

"It was ten years ago, when I started practicing my craft. I was living with my wife Melyssa in a tiny village." Ogen recalled softly, meeting Alfyn's eyes with his own.

"One day, a wanted criminal came to our home. He had evaded his captors, but at great cost—his wounds were dire. I knew what he was, and still I took him into my home and tended to him. I believed, much like you do, that every life was worth saving."

"With each passing day, his condition improved. I was filled with pride for my skills, and joy for my patient's recovery. Then one day, I went off into the woods to gather ingredients for a potion…"

"I returned to find my wife on the floor, unrecognizable…in a pool of her own blood."

Alfyn took in a sharp breath, and heard Primrose next to him do the same. Immediately the young man's heart began to ache once more, but this time for an entirely different reason than before. He almost didn't want to hear the rest, but Alfyn knew that he had to.

He owed it to Ogen.

"I had no choice but to accept the truth. I saved the wrong life." Ogen declared rigidly, turning his gaze away from Alfyn. "I left my village behind and wandered from town to town. Ever since then, I treat only those I choose to treat…and save only those lives that deserve to be saved."

Alfyn stayed silent, refusing to take his eyes off of the older apothecary.

"Those hands of yours can shape the world—think before you use them."

With those last words, Ogen turned around and began walking out of town again, his steps now even heavier than they had been before. Maybe it was because now Alfyn knew exactly what type of burden he was carrying. It was one that was even heavier than his own.

"One last thing…"

Ogen turned his head slightly towards Alfyn and pointed his gaze downwards, coming to a stop just close enough so that Alfyn could still hear him.

"There was another who practiced his craft the way you do…" Ogen whispered, closing his eyes for a brief moment before stepping forward once more. "You remind me of him."

Just like he had done before, Ogen sent Primrose a polite nod before leaving. The dancer gave the older apothecary a sincere smile, acknowledging the fact that he had trusted her enough to hear his story. The two of them hadn't even spoken a single word to each other yet, but she knew that the respect was there from Ogen. Primrose respected him as well. After all, she thought the same way he did at one point in time.

Then she met Alfyn, and slowly started to change for the better. Primrose could only hope that the same would eventually happen to Ogen.

The dancer turned her gaze back towards her beloved, meeting his eyes with a forced smile that she knew he wouldn't be able to see through. He looked exhausted, almost like he had been carrying heavy bags of flour on his back for miles on end. However, even though it was clear that his heart was aching, Alfyn still managed to smile back at her. It was a pained smile, one that Primrose was uncomfortably familiar with. She had seen that same smile practically every day when she was working in Sunshade.

The dancer wanted to tell him that it was okay to let his emotions out, but after thinking about it for a few seconds, she decided to keep her mouth shut. At this point, words were pointless. Instead, Primrose wrapped her arms around the apothecary's waist as they made their way outside of town, leaning him against her ever so slightly to support his steps.

She wasn't going to let him bear this weight alone. If Alfyn's path was starting to weigh on him, then she would walk alongside him. He had done that for her, and so she would do the same.

Unsurprisingly, the dancer and apothecary didn't spare Saintsbridge a second glance as they walked past the exit sign. It was finally time to leave this damned city behind, and after everything that had happened these past few days, it would be quite a long time before the two came back.

Alfyn let out a heavy sigh.

"Good riddance."

"Agreed, and not a moment too soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - I promised that this chapter would come soon, and here it is! I hope you guys enjoyed it. This was one of the most unique experiences I've had writing an update. Up, down, and all over the place. But I think it ended up being pretty decent.
> 
> As much as I'd like to talk about this chapter, since Alfyn's chapter 3 is my favorite chapter of the game, I have a lot of things I need to talk about concerning the story. So all I will say is if you wanted a bit of angst, here it is! Even the most wholesome stories need conflict to move things along.
> 
> Alright then, updates: As of right now, I have found a job! There are still some things I am looking into before my career is fully secure, but for the most part I am now able to write again since my #1 priority has been taken care of. That said, this job is going to drastically affect this fic going forward, and I will talk about that below.
> 
> Firstly, I have finally decided on the full scope of the story. Act III will be eight chapters in total, which means "How Fortunate" will be 18 chapters long. That means there are six more left, including an epilogue. Additionally, I am considering changing the rating of the fic to M out of concern, but for the most part I think it'll be fine. There will be no direct sex scene in the future, and the violence I have written seems to fit the story's current rating.
> 
> Secondly, updates will be much slower from now on. I know that is disheartening to hear for those who are fans, but now that I am working, keeping the same writing pace from before is unfeasible. I don't want to put a definite timetable on it, but the wait between each chapter will not be more than the length of my hiatus. I can promise you that.
> 
> Thirdly, I am now looking for a proofreader! Unfortunately I am unable to pay you; my salary isn't that high. But you'll get the chapters a few days early, as well as a look into what the full story will be like if you don't mind getting spoiled. If you'd rather avoid that, then that's fine as well. Up until now I've done all the proofreading and editing on my own. I will continue to handle the editing, so all I will need from you is to check for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. If you are interested or know anyone that might be interested, please comment below or email me at the email in my bio. I will get back to you as soon I can if the opening is still open.
> 
> That's all for now, but I'm sure that I'll have more for you in the future.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope that you all have a good day, and make sure to stay healthy. See you guys soon.


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